Western U.S. gripped by 'megadrought' as cities and farmers vie for shuttered coal plants' water rights

A March Drought Monitor map shows drought impacts; S means
short-term impacts; L means long-term. Yellow areas are abnormally
dry; tan areas have moderate drought; orange have severe drought.

"A vast region of the western United States . . . is in the grips of the first climate change-induced megadrought observed in the past 1,200 years, a study says. The finding means the phenomenon is no longer a threat for millions to worry about in the future, but is already here," Andrew Freedman and Darryl Fears report for The Washington Post. "The megadrought has emerged while thirsty, expanding cities are on a collision course with the water demands of farmers and with environmental interests, posing nightmare scenarios for water managers in fast-growing states."

The findings raise the stakes for the battle over who gets the rights to water once used by shuttering coal-fired power plants in Western states. "In Western states supported by the over-allocated and drought-plagued Colorado River, these plants use a significant amount of the region’s scarce water supplies," Luke Runyon reports for The Daily Yonder.