Many states are facing historic drought conditions, drastically magnifying the importance of water use and allocation in the western states. Water shortages affect the people and ecosystems of many states that rely on the Colorado River. For the first time in history, the Bureau of Reclamation announced a call on the Colorado River due to low water levels.
The Colorado River (the “River”) is a crucial resource to many western U.S. states. The River provides water to over forty million people and more than five million acres of farmland in seven western states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
When Hurricane Michael made landfall on October 10, 2018, it claimed nearly forty lives across four states, and its aftermath continues to claim the livelihood of oystermen in Apalachicola, Florida. The town and bay of the same name are historically famed for their oysters, which once made up 90% of the wild caught oysters in Florida and 10% in the nation. Oil spill pollution, a drought, and a water use dispute decimated the native oysters in recent years, leading to a shift to aquaculture.
