A study led by NASA researchers provides new estimates of how much water courses through Earth’s rivers, the rates at which it’s flowing into the ocean, and how much both of those figures have fluctuated over time—crucial information for understanding the planet’s water cycle and managing its freshwater supplies. The results also highlight regions depleted by heavy water use, including the Colorado River basin in the United States, the Amazon basin in South America, and the Orange River basin in southern Africa.

Related Colorado River articles: 

• The Nature Conservancy: Blog – Going with the flow: Conserving water for ranchers and a river
• The Nature Conservancy: Blog - Construction nearly complete for Maybell Diversion on the Yampa River
• The Salt Lake Tribune: Water documenters: Read meeting notes from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District Board meeting
• The Journal: Opinion - ‘Rapid growth, water crisis like watching train toward derailment’