Colorado River is drying up at its source as alfalfa, golf, and growth strain the Southwest

‘This is terrifying’: The Colorado River, a lifeline for seven states, is drying up at its source

GRANBY, Colo. — High in the Rocky Mountains, spring-fed streams and ponds have vanished, leaving patches of cracked mud in what were once spongy meadows. This year has been so extremely warm and arid that the mountains have remained largely…

Colorado River is drying up at its source as alfalfa, golf, and growth strain the Southwest

At the Colorado River's source, the water is disappearing. In Colorado's Rocky Mountain headwaters, places once fed by spring streams and ponds have turned into cracked mud, highlighting the growing strain on a crucial Western water supply. What's happening? An unusually hot and dry year in Colorado has left meadows that would normally be soaked with runoff instead drying out, while ranchers search for enough water for their cattle. "I grew up h…