Clean Air News

As the new home of TexPIRG's environmental work, Environment Texas can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.

AUSTIN— A new analysis of government data released today by the Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG) found for the first time that the West’s major river basins are getting warmer, at exactly the time of year water needs to be stored as snow to meet the region's water needs. The report finds trends that go beyond occasional or seasonal drought, showing a steadily declining snowpack in the Mountains which could mean a shortage of water flowing into rivers and communities.

Despite the past year's above-average snowpack, the report found that compared to the historical average, the Rio Grande River basin—which provides much of the water for El Paso and Laredo—is facing warmer winters and smaller snowpacks. Three-fourths of the water used in the West starts as snow.

"El Paso and Laredo depend on the Rio Grande River for their water supply, and the Rio Grande is fed by snow melting in the upper reaches of the River basin," said Luke Metzger, TexPIRG advocate. "Warmer winters and less snow means that we'll have even less water available. Global warming is affecting us today."

The new Clear the Air report, entitled "Less Snow, Less Water," was written by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and is based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). It looked at four major river basins in the West, including the Rio Grande. The study found:

Increased Temperatures
In the Rio Grande River basin, the most recent five-year period was the hottest in the past 110 years: 2000-2004 was 2.5°F hotter than the historic average.

Winter Warming
The warming seen in the Rio Grande River basin has not been random throughout the year. The monthly pattern of increased temperatures between 1995 through 2004 shows that warming has been greatest in January, February, and March—a "fingerprint" of global warming. This is also when warming has the greatest potential to reduce the amount of precipitation that falls as snow.

Reduced Snowpack
Government snowpack-measurement records going back to 1961 indicate that snowpack levels have been below for 10 of 16 years in the Rio Grande basin.

"Precipitation in the West is scarcest where and when we need it most," said Metzger. "Mountain snowpacks are our largest reservoirs, dwarfing those people have built. They naturally delay runoff for months, until spring's warmth releases it as snowmelt. In the future, warmer winters and smaller snowpacks could make late-summer water restrictions a lot more common."

"The West is inherently vulnerable to even small changes in the snow-water cycle," said Metzger. "The threat posed by global warming to our water supply should give Westerners ample reason to take action. We need aggressive and prompt action by federal, state and local governments to reduce global warming pollution. The West can lead the way to a cleaner energy future that protects our natural resources while benefiting the economy."