Seven states in the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) are legally allowed to draw water from the Colorado River. But with the once mighty river now flowing at historically low levels, states have been given a federal deadline to voluntarily agree to drastically reduce their use. January 31st they missed it. Meanwhile, the iconic Hoover Dam is already generating less electricity due to low river flow. It was once capable of generating 2080 megawatts of hydropower, but as of June 2022, that capacity has been cut in half.
Overuse and climate change have decreased…
Article corrected on March 10, 2023
Revealed the previous output of the Hoover Dam.
