It's

 

not a pretty picture...

Colorado River crisis is so bad, lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes

“To think that these things would ever refill requires some kind of leap of faith that I, for one, don't have,” said Brad Udall, a water and climate scientist at Colorado State University.

(He is pretty much the lead guy on the issue BTW...)

"Now the water use is maxed out. Every state is taking too much, and we have to cut back. And so there's just not enough. You would need wet year after wet year, after wet year after wet year, after wet year. Even then, because the demand is so high, it still wouldn't fill," Hasencamp said in an interview.

“The last 23 years are the best lessons we have right now, and they should scare the pants off of people,” said Udall, who has been a co-author of research showing how warming is sapping the river's flows.

"California's Sierra Nevada snowpack is now about 200% of average at this point in the season, while the snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin so far stands at about 140% of the median over the last 30 years."

"The bigger snowpack could help the Colorado's reservoir levels this year somewhat. How much won't be clear for a few months."

"Absolutely this snow is welcomed. The cold weather is welcome. The real question will be in the spring," Hasencamp said."

"In recent years, hot, dry conditions have led to reduced flows in the river. "That's what's been the killer the last few years, is a hot dry spring has taken the snow that's been there, and it doesn't make it to the reservoirs," Hasencamp said.

The climate is converting to aridification.

It's not just going to stop doing so and reverse course back to where it was.

Much like there being 1.7 job opening for every person looking for work?

All these problems are systemic.

They are now "built" into the system as it was.

The snowball is starting to roll down the hill etc...

Aint but one thing gonna change it and it aint you, me or any other man...