Prolonged Drought Threatens Colorado Peach Harvest
Farmers in Palisade, Colorado, are grappling with severe drought conditions that threaten the region's renowned peach orchards. Bruce Talbott, owner of Talbott Farms, reports that the lack of snowpack in the Colorado River headwaters has drastically reduced irrigation water supplies. This year, record-high March temperatures caused an early snowmelt, forcing farmers to begin their harvest a month earlier than usual. Talbott Farms, which grows approximately 200,000 peach trees, is now facing the possibility of running out of water before the harvest concludes in early September. The situation highlights the increasing challenges of farming in the Colorado River Basin as climate change exacerbates water scarcity. 
