New study shows huge groundwater losses along Colorado River

For years, the focus on water shortages in the Colorado River basin has centered on what’s visible—shrinking lakes and dwindling rivers. But new satellite data reveals the crisis runs deeper. Since 2003, the region has lost groundwater equivalent to the entire volume of Lake Mead. That hidden depletion is now forcing a reckoning: if water use doesn’t change, the taps—especially for agriculture—may run dry. The challenge ahead isn’t just managing rivers, but understanding and protecting the unseen reservoirs beneath our feet. Alex Hager with KUNC has the full story.