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Since the mid-1980s, the percentage of precipitation that becomes streamflow in the Upper Rio Grande watershed has fallen more steeply than at any point in at least 445 years, according to a new study. While this decline was driven in part by the transition from an unusually wet period to an unusually dry period, rising temperatures deepened the trend, the researchers said.
The study paints a detailed picture of how temperature has affected the runoff ratio -- the amount of snow and rain that actually makes it into the river -- over time, and the findings could help improve water supply forecasts for the Rio Grande, which is a source of water for an estimated 5 million people.Image credit: National Park Service
