Utah Snow Drought and the Colorado River: How a Record-Low Snowpack Threatens Western Water and Agriculture

Science Friday host Flora Lichtman introduces Kathleen Davis, reporter David Condos, and Colorado River expert Brad Udall to discuss a western snow drought centered in Utah. Davis explains that roughly 95% of Utah’s urban water comes from melting snow, feeding reservoirs like Lake Powell, the Colorado River system, and millions of downstream users. The conversation expands to the broader West, where the snow drought intersects with ongoing river negotiations among seven states.

Brad Udall of Colorado State University frames the crisis as aridification, a long-term warming and drying trend that complicates water planning for cities, agriculture, and ecosystems. The episode highlights the daunting tradeoffs: agriculture’s role in water use, potential federal intervention, and the urgent need for adaptation while emissions reductions continue. The discussion underscores how a single winter’s conditions ripple through supply, economy, and policy across the arid American West.

Overview

Science Friday runs through a stark water story: a historic snow drought in the western United States, with Utah at the epicenter. Kathleen Davis speaks with David Condos, a reporter for KUER Public Radio in St. George, about what a snow drought means beyond the thrill of winter sports. Davis emphasizes a brutal fact about Utah’s water: melting snow supplies about 95 percent of the state’s municipal water. That snow is a lifeline for the reservoirs that feed the state’s cities and, on a larger scale, the Colorado River system that powers water supplies for tens of millions across the Southwest. The discussion then widens to the Colorado River basin at large, where Lake Powell is already low, intensifying the negotiations that govern how states share cuts and water use. “existential is certainly a good word for it” - Kathleen Davis, host of Science Friday

As the segment moves to the science of the drought, listeners hear how climate variability intersects with policy. The show introduces Brad Udall, a hydrology and climate researcher at Colorado State University, who has spent decades untangling how climate change affects water in the West. His perspective anchors the episode’s deeper questions about what the drought means for future planning and for people who rely on these water supplies every day.

Utah’s Snow, Water, and the Colorado River System

Kathleen Davis outlines the immediate stakes: Utah’s mountains are a climate-driven water bank, with snowmelt refilling reservoirs that cities rely on through the spring and summer. Condos, reporting from St. George, explains how flatly the snow drought translates to real risks for water supply, utilities, and municipal planning. The discussion underscores how Colorado River headwaters in the Rockies act as a shared resource among seven states, and how the region’s largest reservoirs—Powell and Mead—anchor water policy and interstate negotiations. The segment also reinforces a cultural and economic reality: Utah’s identity and economy are deeply tied to winter recreation and reliable water, making the drought feel personal and existential for residents who watch the snowline recede.

Aridification and the Climate Signal

Brad Udall’s analysis centers the episode on a crucial distinction: drought is a temporary condition, whereas aridification describes a longer trend of warming and drying since 2000. Udall notes a strong temperature signal: out West, temperatures have risen by about 5 degrees Fahrenheit since October, with December temperatures far above normal in places like Colorado. He emphasizes that even if the winter precipitation looks normal at times, warmer temperatures accelerate evaporation and reduce available water in the long run. The aridification framework reframes the crisis as a structural shift rather than a seasonal setback, with implications for how future climate scenarios are modeled and planned for across the basin. “aridification means the long-term warming and drying that we've been seeing since the year 2000” - Brad Udall, Colorado State University

Impacts on Agriculture and Policy

The conversation turns to the downstream effects of less snow and lower reservoir levels: increased fire risk, reduced soil moisture, threats to wildlife and ecosystems, and, most pointedly, the need to reduce Colorado River use to balance the system for about 40 million people. Udall explains that in the Colorado River basin, agriculture uses roughly 70 percent of the water, with municipalities and industry accounting for the rest. When shortages are anticipated, the agricultural sector bears a large share of needed cuts, and some regions may have to shift crops, adjust irrigation practices, or even reduce agricultural activity altogether. The discussion highlights political realities, such as the challenges in seven-state negotiations, and the possibility that a federal imposition may be required if states cannot agree on a path forward. Udall also addresses a common misconception: efficiency gains in urban water use do not automatically translate into lower overall consumption, because many water losses return to rivers via return flows and downstream reuse. “Water's not like gasoline, where you get one chance to use it” - Brad Udall, Colorado State University

What Comes Next: Negotiations, Adaptation, and Emissions

The final portion of the interview connects climate policy to water policy. Udall argues that adaptation is unavoidable in the Colorado River basin, but it should not replace the ongoing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The federal government is likely to step in with a settlement if negotiations stall, potentially triggering litigation or court-based resolutions—an outcome Udall warns against due to the scale and complexity of the system involving state jurisdictions, Indian tribes, and international considerations with Mexico. The episode closes on the hopeful note that a negotiated agreement remains preferable, even as participants acknowledge the deep political and economic pain that changes in agriculture and water management will entail. Udall emphasizes that while adaptation is essential, it should be paired with efforts to cut emissions to mitigate the long-term drivers of aridification. “The urgency is there to get a deal done” - Brad Udall, Colorado State University