Study: Climate Change Increases Demand for Irrigation

A new study by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation outlines the projected impact of increased reservoir evaporation due to climate change on irrigation demand on eight major river basins, including the Rio Grande, in the western part of the country. Using climate change projections and current data, the researchers found that irrigation demand will increase by 6 percent, while annual evaporation at the reservoirs that were studied could increase by 2 to 6 inches, thus showing an increasing disparity between water demand and supply. (U.S. Department of the Interior)