Forecasters say the water flows on the Rio Grande are expected to be less than half of average — or worse this year-- raising concerns about drought across parts of the American West.
The Rio Grande delivers drinking water and irrigation supplies to millions of people from southern Colorado into Texas and Mexico.
With more dry years than wet ones over the last two decades, how much water ends up flowing downstream has been a point of contention among the states.
Meanwhile, environmentalists are concerned about the river's overall health and the implications of another dry year for silvery minnows and other imperiled species.
