The United States government has for the first time in history officially declared a water shortage on the Colorado River, ordering mandatory cuts to water consumption across states in the Southwest. This comes as Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir — which is fed by the Colorado River — has hit a record low level of just 32% amid an unprecedented drought. This is Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science at the U.S. Interior Department.

Tanya Trujillo: “There’s no doubt that climate change is real. We’re experiencing it every day in the Colorado River basin and in other basins in the West.”