Topline
Arizona, California and Nevada struck a deal Monday to cut water usage back by millions of gallons in an attempt to keep the Colorado River from further drying out, as the river’s ecosystem suffers massive water loss amid historic drought and overuse.
Lake Mead’s water level has lowered significantly in recent years as the Southwest suffers an … [+]
Key Facts
The three states announced Monday they would collectively lower their usage by at least 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026—an acre-foot is about 325,900 gallons of water, or roughly the amount two to three households use in a year, according to CNN.
The cutback, which would effectively reduce water consumption from the Colorado Basin by more than 10%, is an effort to keep the river’s waterline from falling so low it would not be able to support the roughly 40 million people who currently rely on it for drinking water, as well as farming and hydropower.
With the new agreement, the federal government would pay $1.2 billion to farmers, cities and Native American tribes in the three states if they can successfully reduce their water consumption.
The funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act, which offered to pay western states per acre-foot of water that they could eliminate from their total usage—the federal government set aside a total of $4 billion for drought relief in the IRA.
Key Background
The three states involved in Monday’s agreement, all known as Lower Basin states, play a key role in conservation of the Colorado River system, as they have historically used more than Upper Basin states (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming), and have often used more than the share they’re allotted to use by the federal government, according to the New York Times. During the summer of 2022, water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs which are both connected to the Colorado River system, fell to historic lows and threatened to cease powering hydroelectric turbines. The Interior Department told the seven Colorado River Basin states in June 2022 they had to reduce their water by between two and four million acre-feet of water per year, but the states failed to make an agreement at that time, leading the federal government to start exploring imposing water cuts for those states.
What To Watch For
The agreement still requires review from the federal government, which called the plan a “testament” to the Biden Administration’s dedication to the issue, and signaled its support for the plan by pausing its plan from last summer to implement water usage cuts. The four Upper Basin states said they did not necessarily endorse the Lower Basin states’ plan, but supported a review of the proposal, as it allows more time to strike a final deal involving all seven states.
Big Number
23. That’s the number of years the southwest region of the U.S. has been experiencing a drought. Increasing temperatures from climate change have accelerated evaporation, and made the 2000s the driest time for the region since 800 A.D., according to the New York Times. The changes have shriveled the Colorado River by 20% over the past two decades.
Further Reading
U.S. Announces Major Colorado River Water Cuts Amid Historic Western Drought (Forbes)
A Painful Deadline Nears as Colorado River Reservoirs Run Critically Low (New York Times)
Feds Say Colorado River Is In Crisis—Here’s What It Looks Like (Forbes)
How Bad Is the Western Drought? Worst in 12 Centuries, Study Finds. (New York Times)
Officials fear ‘complete doomsday scenario’ for drought-stricken Colorado River (Washington Post)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/05/22/southwest-states-strike-deal-to-stall-colorado-river-water-shortage-crisis/