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In 2020 the percentage of drought in the United States was 36.7% which was an overlooked issue, only adding to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Things are looking much more hopeful in 2024, as the state of Colorado has so far received a surplus of precipitation. Similar to 2023 the lake, river, and reservoir levels have significantly increased. In fact, the Blue Mesa Reservoir is up 129% from the average.
The western U.S., which has the most significant lakes and reservoirs, is 50% above the original estimate as of February. Nathan Lay, science teacher at Coronado High School, “A majority of the water that the Colorado River receives is from the Rockies. A lot of it melts and gets piped into the river which flows to many western states.” This means that the likelihood of a drought in the summer is heavily reduced.
Compared to 2020 the U.S. has regained a lot of lost freshwater but unstable patterns in water levels could possibly ensue more issues in the future.
