Visualizing Water – Slide 7

If we add human uses into the picture, things look MUCH different in the Colorado River Basin than they did for the global situation. In the Colorado River Basin, we withdraw all of the 24.1 BCM of blue water that flows into rivers, lakes and aquifers each year. In addition, we reuse another 6.2 BCM of water that is returned to rivers and streams after being used. What this means is that in most years, the Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean. We withdraw and consume all of the water before it gets there. This has had great consequences for freshwater plants and animals, and people that depend for their survival on fisheries in river’s delta.