The US West is getting drier. After more than two decades of unrelenting drought, there is an urgent need for a more nuanced and accurate characterization of water availability, especially in mountains, which serve as critical water towers. At AGCI, we collaborate with researchers and communities across the western US to advance understanding of the impacts of aridification in the region, improve methodologies, and enhance the accessibility of science that supports water-related decision making.
Long-term research provides essential insights into how natural systems change over time. The Roaring Fork Observation Network (also known as “iRON”) is a community-driven program in the Colorado River headwaters designed to provide a long-term record of bioclimatic and soil moisture data to support research, resource management, and community engagement.
Snow sublimation is an important but poorly understood component of the water cycle. It occurs when snowpack is lost to the atmosphere, turning directly into water vapor without melting first, bypassing the liquid water phase entirely. The National Science Foundation-funded Sublimation of Snow project seeks to advance knowledge of snow hydrology by collecting data on atmospheric conditions at and above the snow surface via Earth Observing Laboratory equipment deployed in Colorado’s East River Watershed.
Climate change is forcing the Colorado River to meet a growing water demand with a shrinking water supply. AGCI and partners are mapping existing hubs and gaps in hydrologic research to identify opportunities for more effective collaboration on water research and management for the mountain headwaters of the Colorado River.
The climate is changing, and communities need to prepare. There’s no shortage of climate change data available online — but communities need help finding and sorting through these myriad resources and understanding what online climate change information can and can’t tell them. This user’s guide to climate change portals helps people and communities effectively acquire and interpret climate change information appropriate for their locality. Whether you’re a city or county staffer, other professional, or a concerned resident, this guide will help you navigate to the climate information most appropriate and useful to you and your community.
The Colorado River Science Wiki is a web-based clearinghouse for scientific and technical information and data relevant to the Colorado River and management of its water and other natural resources. The wiki is intended to be useful to decision makers, scientists, the media, and the broader public.
Every five years, the Bureau of Reclamation submits a report to Congress on projected risks to water supplies, which highlights strategies for increasing water supply reliability across the western United States. In 2021, AGCI supported this effort by helping to write Reclamation’s Water Reliability in the West – 2021 SECURE Water Act Report and accompanying web portal, as well as Reclamation’s West-Wide Climate and Hydrology Assessment. Explore all three at https://www.usbr.gov/climate/secure/.
AGCI manages the Roaring Fork Observation Network (formerly iRON), a community- supported, long-term research program. Designed to improve understanding of mountain ecosystems and hydrology in the context of a changing climate, this program engages with local stakeholders to identify and address key questions around local climate change impacts.
