The U.S. Department of Interior announced last week that it might have to reduce Colorado River deliveries starting next year if earlier cuts prove insufficient. The decision would affect California, Arizona, and Nevada, as well as rural farming districts and metropolitan areas.
Federal officials presented two options that, in addition to the current cuts that states and other users had previously agreed to, would result in at least two million acre-feet of cuts in 2024, per the Desert Sun. The government has not indicated which of the two options it prefers and has yet to make an official decision.
The Colorado River feeds Arizona’s Lake Powell and Nevada’s Lake Mead, two artificial reservoirs that were built in order to store water from the river. The levels in these two man-made lakes help the government determine when it needs to hold back the supply of the river.
One of the main distinctions between the two proposals is how water supplies will be distributed if water levels at Lake Mead fall below a certain level, per AP News. According to the one plan, water supplies would be cut on a proportional basis, while the other plan calls for allocating cuts based on a priority system by which water users in the West would see fewer cuts.
Tom Buschatzke, director of Arizona’s Department of Water Resources, said that steps have already been taken in the past for Lake Mead, but they must be increased in order to make real change.
“Over the last two decades, many steps have been taken, including very difficult ones, and they have helped to stave off draconian outcomes for the river and the reservoirs we depend on, but looking out at Lake Mead behind me it’s a stark visual reminder of why we are here today,” said Buschatzke, per the Nevada Current. “Let us accelerate our discussions in the basin for a collaborative consensus based outcome.”
Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said that the current rules that guide the basin might not be enough and that changes must be made to protect the future of the basin.
“The existing guidelines may in the near future prove inadequate to protect the system and ensure power generation and water deliveries,” said Beaudreau, per the Nevada Current.
Last year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation requested that the states find ways to decrease their collective use of the river’s water by two to four million acre-feet, but they have not yet reached an agreement.
The department has indicated that fundamental needs like having access to clean water and hydropower must take priority over any system that is established for determining where the water goes.
Beaudreau understands how important the basin is and believes that failing would be catastrophic.
“The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million Americans. It fuels hydropower resources in eight states, supports agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, and is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations,” said Beaudreau, per the Desert Sun. “Failure is not an option.”
Before the federal government’s choice is officially announced, states, tribes, and other water users are encouraged to find a solution that does not involve litigation.