An ongoing situation in Louisiana that has generated a lot of news coverage is introducing the term “saltwater intrusion” to many people. It also highlights the potential impact of more familiar challenges facing the water sector – climate change, drought and source water protection.

In geographic regions that rely on snowpack for their source water, like Denver, this is a very important issue. The National Weather Service calls the amount of water in snow the “snow ratio.” As a rule, 12 inches of snow can represent one inch of water in the Upper Midwest states.