ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of North America’s longest rivers, the Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo as it’s called in Mexico, has a history as deep as it is long. Indigenous people have tapped it for countless generations, and it was a key artery for Spanish conquistadors centuries ago.
In Brief:
- Study shows Rio Grande basin uses 52% more water than it can replenish
- Millions in the U.S. and Mexico face worsening water insecurity
- Irrigation accounts for 87% of direct water use in the basin
- Water shortages have contributed to major farmland losses since 2000
Today, the Rio Grande-Bravo water basin is in crisis.
Research published Thursday says the situation is arguably worse than the challenges facing the Colorado River, another vital lifeline for western U.S. states that have yet to chart a course for managing that dwindling resource…