News > Colorado River: First-ever shortage declared amid record US drought

Colorado River: First-ever shortage declared amid record US drought

For the first time ever, the US government has declared a water shortage on the Colorado River, a life source to millions in the southwest.

The supply cuts now ordered by a federal water agency come as Lake Mead, the river's main reservoir and largest in the US, drains at an alarming rate. Officials tied the historic drought to climate change as they announced the water supply reductions on Monday.