does the colorado river make it to the ocean
Reduction in flow caused by dams, diversions, water for thermoelectric power stations, and evaporation losses from reservoirs -- the latter of which consumes more than 15 percent of the river's natural runoff -- has had severe ecological consequences in the Colorado River Delta and the Gulf of California. Historically, the delta with its large freshwater outflow and extensive salt marshes provided an important breeding ground for aquatic species in the Gulf. Today's desiccated delta, at only a fraction of its former size, no longer provides suitable habitat, and populations of fish, shrimp and sea mammals in the gulf have seen a dramatic decline. Since 1963, the only times when the Colorado River has reached the ocean have been during El Niño events in the 1980s and 1990s.
Colorado River