The United States declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River
Dated 16 August 2021: The United States declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River. In the causal graph this event weakens Water Scarcity, a driver that weakens Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services, by urban/rural (%) — an improving welfare path.
Who was responsible
Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.
No public contributors are listed for this fact.
What changed
Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.
- FactThe United States declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River
- weakensDriverWater Scarcity
- weakensIndicators (2)Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services, by urban/rural (%)
provisional weight · verified
- Better
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services, by urban/rural (%)
via Water Scarcity
Weakens · 70% impact strength (driver → indicator)
Observed
73.7% · 1.92 above the normal line (2024)
Better than normal7 readings, 2018–2024: rose from 69.4% to 73.7%.
Above normal = better
Strengthens · 40% impact strength (driver → indicator)
Observed
37.4 deaths per 1,000 live births · 12.4 above the normal line (2024)
Worse than normal7 readings, 2018–2024: fell from 40 deaths per 1,000 live births to 37.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Above normal = worse
Causal path
How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.
- FactThe United States declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River
- weakensDriverWater Scarcity
- weakensIndicatorProportion of population using safely managed drinking water services, by urban/rural (%)
Cite this page
Factrail. (2026). The United States declared the first Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/colorado-river-first-tier-one-shortage-declared-2021
https://factrail.ai/facts/colorado-river-first-tier-one-shortage-declared-2021
Accessed 15 October 2026.
By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed
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