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Originally posted by Desert_Rat:
The Southwest is going into year 12 of the worst drought in recorded history. Colorado River flows are 50% of normal.
50% of normal of what? Less than 100 years of records?

OK, 200 years of records - still statistically and historically insignificant.

Looks like about 100 years:

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/fbhd.pdf

I also thought this was interesting:

http://co.water.usgs.gov/drought/workshop200501/pdf/mccabe.pdf

cool pictures, but I can't say I'm surprised. When you look at the historical flows that we do have of the Colorado, you can see it has a natural drought/flood cycle. Except there are more people than ever depending on it's water. Why do you think I'm on the East coast instead of still in San Diego?

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That drying, warming trend is being noticed in this part of the country. Oddly, I've also seen increased snow and inclement weather in the north east as part of this cycle.
And it could be 100% natural - we simply don't know, nor do we have accurate enough weather models to predict how weather was in the past. When we get it right going forwards, we should be able to get it right going backwards. We aren't anywhere near there yet.

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Like I said...the quesiton is whether or not man has caused this scenario, and while everyone has a theory, I don't think it can be proven definitively either way.
Well duh.... I vote for the pimple on the gnats ass theory, but that's an inconvenient truth indeed [Uh Oh !]
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Murderous Fire!