Report: Warmer Climate Puts Water Supplies At Risk
CBS 4
2010-07-23
Report: Warmer Climate Puts Water Supplies At Risk
Business - CBS 4 – 7/21/10 2:00 AM
Lake Okeechobee is the second largest lake in the United States, the headwaters of The Everglades, and the source of most of South Florida's drinking water. It was also in crisis, shrunken by drought to the lowest levels in recorded history.
A new report says more than 1,000 counties across the United States are at risk for potential water shortages by mid-century as warmer temperatures deplete supplies and demand for water rises.
The report, released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council, says some regions including the Northeast could see a boost to water supplies as climate change shifts weather patterns.
But for much of the rest of the country, the group paints a sobering picture of warm temperatures further taxing aquifers already stressed by heavy agricultural and consumer use.
The report did not factor in future improvements to water supply systems.
Fourteen states were highlighted as being most at risk: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
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