More people are visiting national parks. Is there enough water to go around?
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — In late-January, the National Park Service closed parts of Big Bend National Park after a pump failure caused water shortages. Local businesses shuttered and spigots ran dry.
“Most people don't think about where their water comes from at national parks, but it often comes from local streams, springs and groundwater, and those water resources are subject to change from climate,” said Kristen Cognac, a hydrogeologist at Colorado State University.
More than 330 million people visited national parks in 2024, but climate change could make it harder for parks to provide water to visitors. Both Glacier and Grand Canyon national parks have faced their own water shortages, owing to high visitation and damaged infrastructure.
Cognac is part of a team of CSU scientists who are currently working with the NPS to determine how national parks can better prepare for a future with less water.
The team’s study, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to provide park managers with tools to identify pressing water problems, like leaking pipes, and opportunities to increase water supply.
“We know that the West is generally getting drier. Without these types of data … we can't plan for those changes,” said Cognac.
Researchers started by looking at the source of national parks’ water, precipitation and temperature data and climate projections to determine what future water supply and demand may look like
At parks with the highest risk for drought, and those planning for expensive upgrades to water systems, researchers can conduct field visits. So far, researchers have visited Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve and Zion National Park.
These parks serve more than eight million visitors per year and are at risk of longer, more severe droughts, according to Tyler Gilkerson, an NPS hydrogeologist and project co-lead.
During field visits, researchers collect localized data, like measuring streamflow, and provide tailored advice to park staff about how to conserve water and make smart investments.
For example, "if a park is planning to put in a new water supply well, and our projections show that recharge to that aquifer could decrease by 50%, the well could run dry. It wouldn't be a smart investment," Cognac said.
Another problem is that many national parks keep scattered records of where water is going.
“They're measuring how much [water] is leaving the tank in binders,” Cognac said. “There hasn’t really been a mass digitization of this trove of data.”
Water used for construction and water lost to leaks are major sources of consumption, Cognac said.
Despite wide-ranging cuts to scientific research, the Trump administration has not interfered with the project’s grant funding.
“We're hoping it's because the administration recognizes the need to make smart investments in national parks, to spend money wisely and plan for risks using science-backed data sets," Cognac said.
Whether or not national parks will have the money to complete recommended upgrades when the time comes is another story. The NPS already has a $23 million backlog of deferred maintenance projects.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.