COLORADO — Colorado’s high mountains are an essential water source for human and livestock consumption, fish, aquatic invertebrates, plants, animals and everything else living on our mostly blue planet. Our snow-covered mountains are a reservoir of frozen water that melts and fees our rivers, streams and us.
This natural process is under threat due to the presence of dust on the snowpack. This dust, often originating from the arid regions of the Southwest, is altering the snow’s reflective properties, leading to accelerated melting. As a result, the timing and volume of snowmelt are becoming increasingly unpredictable, posing a significant challenge to water resource management.