Modeling the Colorado River’s uncertain future
As the Colorado River faces historic declines in flow, decision-makers are turning to advanced modeling tools to manage an increasingly uncertain future. At the center of this effort is Research Professor Edith Zagona, who leads the development of RiverWare, a widely used modeling platform that simulates how water moves through the basin. Her work includes leading a multidisciplinary team at the Center for Advanced Decision Support for Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES), advancing RiverWare and other decision- support tools.
Originally developed in the 1990s at the University of Colorado Boulder, RiverWare allows states, cities and tribes to run their own scenarios through complex systems like the Colorado River Simulation System, increasing transparency and trust in water management decisions.Ìý