Introduction
A nearly dry irrigation canal in California's vast Central Valley farming region reflects the devastating impact on the state of a five-year drought that ended in 2016. About two-thirds of the West now suffers from drought conditions, and water experts say the situation will worsen because of global warming and pressure on water supplies from population growth. (Cover: Getty Images/Corbis/In Pictures Ltd.)
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The Western United States' long battle for an adequate water supply is entering a challenging new phase. Scientists say climate change could reduce rainfall 25 percent in coming years, and droughts will become longer and more frequent — all as the region's population growth is setting records. Climatologists say farmers and ranchers must find new ways of operating in arid conditions, and cities must increase their conservation efforts despite citizen resistance. At the same time, experts say states must do more to work together to address the region's water limitations, and some want the federal government to assume a bigger role in mediating water disputes. Still, some scientists say the threat of a protracted water crisis is overblown, noting that droughts have been cyclical throughout history. Others say new technology, including desalination plants that make seawater drinkable, can increase the water supply. Las Vegas, the casino mecca in one of the nation's driest regions, is among the cities struggling to balance water conservation and economic growth.
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