Much of the nation is in a drought already, but the headwaters of the Colorado River are among the driest places, along with south Texas and all of Florida. Alarmed civic officials across the West have already begun ordering restrictions on watering lawns, cleaning cars and even whether restaurant patrons get served glasses of water.

Longtime Western water expert Brad Udall said it's hard to put into words just how bad things are. He told USAToday the early ski area closures will likely be followed by ranchers selling off cattle, and then skies darkened by wildfire smoke as dry vegetation burns.

For more than two decades, Udall has been studying how climate change is altering the West's water resources. He said 2026 may go down as the worst year for Colorado River flows in recorded history.

Based on previous years, a water shortage across the West could have drastic implications for food prices as crops dry up and cattle go thirsty. It would also imperil tens of thousands of businesses that depend on industrial water use, and raise the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Huge portions of the West are served by the Colorado River, which starts high in the Rockies before flowing downstream through Lake Powell, Lake Mead outside Las Vegas, and ultimately into Southern California.

Climate experts have long warned that climate change will make the West hotter and drier, and worry that what's happening now represents a long-term shift that could reshape how people live and work across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. Some water experts say Lake Powell could hit its lowest level ever later this summer.

Story Date: April 1, 2026