Precipitation may brighten Colorado River's future, says modeling study

The Colorado River's future may be a little brighter than expected, according to a new modeling study from CIRES researchers. Warming temperatures, which deplete water in the river, have raised doubts the Colorado River could recover from a multi-decade drought. The new study fully accounts for both rising temperatures and precipitation in the Colorado's headwaters, and finds precipitation, not temperature, will likely continue to dictate the flow of the river for the next 25 years.