Communities still have dry wells. Restoring groundwater takes decades, with costly, long-term replenishment projects and ultimately, much less pumping.
As the Colorado River shrinks in the hands of a changing climate, communities that rely on it are starting to feel the pinch. Smaller cities and towns in the Southwest, like Page, have a perilous front row seat as the diminished river threatens to cut off their water supply completely.
The PPIC released a report in November covering the state of water in California. Its authors found that rising temperatures and intense drought has depleted state water supplies in reservoirs, groundwater reserves and the snowpack.