A stretch of the Colorado River cutting through sandstone walls and canyons
2020 Nora Connors Photo/Shutterstock
An interim plan to save the Colorado River is being developed after months of intense debate. The plan is a breakthrough in negotiations over how to use less water from drained rivers, but it is far from solving the water crisis facing the western United States.
Under the proposed plan, California, Arizona, and Nevada, which depend on the lower reaches of the river, would cut their water withdrawals by at least 3 million acre-feet from now until 2026. Half of that will be preserved by the end of the year. 2024, according to a letter each state sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior on May 22.
The Colorado River supplies water to over 40 million people. Most of these new savings (2.3 million acre-feet) will come from reduced water use in cities, Native American tribes and irrigation districts. According to the Act, the total reduction would be equivalent to about 13% of the total water use in downstream states, with $1.2 billion in compensation from the Inflation Control Act. new york times.
California, Arizona, and Nevada are responsible for finding themselves places to clear the remaining 700,000 acre-feet. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, which depend on the upper reaches of the river, said they supported consideration of the federal proposal, but did not support the plan.
After decades of severe drought and overexploitation, the river’s two major reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, faced record low water levels. Water officials have warned that if not cut off, reservoir levels could drop too low for water to flow through the dam to produce energy.
In June 2022, U.S. officials said states would have to plan for reductions of between 2 million acres and 4 million acre feet or face forced cuts, and months of intense negotiations began before plans were finalized. He said he would miss the deadline for proposals twice.
Arizona State University’s Sarah Porter said the new proposal was helped by what turned out to be a very wet year in the western United States, making it easier to reduce water usage. .
The proposal is a breakthrough in negotiations, but still requires the consent of the US government and other states. And the plan says nothing about what happens after 2026, when the rules that distribute river water are set for a major renegotiation. “This is an attempt to keep the system functioning,” Porter said.
In a letter to the federal government, the seven states that depend on rivers to irrigate their farms and provide drinking water to millions of people acknowledged:
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