The US States most likely to suffer water shortages are:
Utah: Salt Lake City
California: San Diego, San Jose, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Riverside, San Bernardino, Mission Viejo
Nebraska: Lincoln
Florida: Miami
Texas: El Paso, San Antonio
Here’s why:
Many westerns states including Utah are already facing water stresses. Salt Lake City will likely face increasing challenges due to climate change. Researchers found that as average temperatures rise, some creeks and streams that supply water to the Salt Lake region could dry up several weeks earlier in the summer and fall.
It’s no surprise that most of California is at high risk for water problems – it’s an arid region with a burgeoning population putting its watershed under severe stress. Los Angeles continues to increase water demands, relying on importing much of its water from the Colorado River system which supports seven states and almost 40 million people. The Bay Area continues to boom but due to climate change causing rising sea levels and earthquakes, the region’s water could be severely disrupted, reduced or infiltrated by sea water. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland are “very likely” to experience a crisis due to water shortages in less than 50 years.
In early 2013, nearly the entire state of Nebraska suffered a severe drought with a staggering 96 percent of the state experiencing “extreme drought” conditions. Lincoln was listed as the third most at-risk city for water shortage by this report.
Although Miami’s watersheds seem to be at low risk, the report listed the city as the second most at-risk for water vulnerability due to “low storage of water per capita.” But there are bigger problems. Rising sea levels will have a dramatic impact on Miami and much of South Florida in the future.
Texas‘ northern agricultural belt faces high risk for water shortages and stressed watersheds, and El Paso shares much of the same problems. But southern Texas doesn’t escape either – the densely-populated city of Houston also has water issues due to concerns over its rapidly increasing population in a high drought region. With watersheds already under stress, San Antonio is high-risk for regional water shortage. It is estimated that demand will exceed supply, and in 2012 San Antonio was the number one most at-risk city for water vulnerability.
If your state wasn’t listed here, it doesn’t mean you’re not at risk. Different studies show different risk patterns – this report has slightly different suggestions for example. Scientists have been saying for decades that the United States’ lakes, rivers and aquifers will probably not be enough to quench the thirst of a growing population in a warming world.
