Climate change, not data centers, behind Colorado River drought
News ClipAFP Fact Check·AZ·9/10/2026
Social media posts are falsely claiming that data center projects are causing the alarmingly low water levels in the Colorado River basin, including Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Experts have clarified that data centers do not have direct access to water from the basin. The actual cause of the water crisis in the southwestern United States is long-term climate trends, not data centers.
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As cities dependent on the Colorado River basin for their water face usage restrictions due to a megadrought, social media posts are suggesting nearby data center projects are to blame for the alarmingly low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. But data centers do not have direct access to water from the basin, and experts said long-term climate trends caused the crisis in the southwestern United States.