Speaker: George Rhee, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

The Colorado River system stands at a crossroads. Dramatic changes have to be made in how the system is managed for it to continue to function and deliver water to the 40 million people who depend on it. We present the evidence for climate exchange in the Colorado Basin as well as the evidence of past river flows based on our and other tree ring studies going back several centuries. Based on the scientific evidence for continuing decreasing river flows and rising temperatures, we propose a way forward to ensure a sustainable future for the river and its users.