Medieval Colorado River Drought, A World Event
by Joe Gelt

University of Arizona researchers recently found evidence of an epic medieval drought occurring along the Colorado River. More persistent and long-lasting than any drought on record in the region, the 60-year, 12th century drought reduced Colorado River flows to 15 percent below what is now considered normal for 25 years.

That the drought was described as medieval is interesting. It is not a term one often encounters applied to developments in the western hemisphere or the New World. No scribes or monks were present to record events and occurrences from the fifth to the sixteenth century. Whatever information is available about medieval times in this part of the world comes mainly from archeological, geological or scientific studies such as the tree-ring research that identified evidence of the megadrought in the twelfth century.

Fitting the twelfth-century western drought into some kind of world view perspective would serve to link the New World with the Old and might make us more comfortable with a medieval period in our part of the world. The Colorado River drought can then be better understood as a medieval occurrence along with other world events of the twelfth century.