Mountain snowpacks are crucial sources of water supply, particularly in the Western United States and Canada. However, a recent study has found that these natural reservoirs are in decline due to earlier snowpack melt caused by warmer winter and spring temperatures.
This trend is causing water scarcity and posing several environmental and economic challenges. The study, which used the Snow Storage Index to track snow water storage from 1950-2013, revealed that more than 25% of the Mountain West has witnessed significant decline in snow storage.
In states like California, Nevada, and New Mexico, this decline has surpassed 50%. Snowpacks provide more than 75% of the freshwater supply in the Western United States and their decline can cause widespread droughts and significantly impact the region’s agricultural and hydroelectric power industries.
The need to tackle this challenge has never been more critical, especially since a hotter climate is predicted to further exacerbate the situation.
Water conservation measures, improved irrigation systems, and other adaptive strategies are some of the steps that can be taken to mitigate the effects of the snowpack decline and ensure that the future water demands of the Western United States are met.
Edited by Zeng Han-Jun
Written by Juliana Rodriguez
Terra Link Research 