A Deseret Morning News article from August 8, 2004 stated that, based on flow data of the Colorado River, the current drought is considered the worst in 500 years. This statistic is alarming, but while the Colorado River is an important part of Utah’s overall landscape, residents in the most populous parts of the state utilize very little of the river’s water. The flow rates of the Colorado have a greater impact downstream in Nevada and California.

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