Proposal aims to cut use of drought-stricken Colorado River

FAN Editor

Three states near deal over Colorado River

Three states near deal on Colorado River water after decades of drought 04:39

Arizona, California and Nevada on Monday proposed a plan to significantly reduce their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River over the next three years. The proposal aims to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water through the end of 2026.

The 1,450-mile river provides water to 40 million people in seven U.S. states, parts of Mexico and more than two dozen Native American tribes. At least half of the 3 million acre-feet in reductions — or 1.5 million acre-feet of water — would have to be conserved by 2024, the plan said. In exchange for temporarily using less water, cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes in the three states will receive federal funding, though officials did not say how much funding individual users in the states would get. 

Specifics of the deal announced Monday were sparse, including exactly how the cuts would be spread out. JB Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, said in a statement his state would be responsible for 1.6 million acre-feet in cuts. No details were immediately provided on how Arizona and Nevada would split the rest.

“We now have a path forward to build our reservoirs back up in the near-term,” Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said in a statement. “From here, our work must continue to take action and address the long-term issues of climate change and overallocation to ensure we have a sustainable Colorado River for all who rely upon it.”

In the same statement, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo said, “It’s never been more important to protect the Colorado River System, and this partnership is a critical next step in our efforts to sustain this essential water supply.”

The Colorado River has been in crisis thanks to a multidecade drought in the West intensified by climate change, rising demand and overuse. Those pressures have sent water levels at key reservoirs along the river to unprecedented lows, though they have rebounded somewhat thanks to heavy precipitation and deep snowpack this winter.

A twisted Colorado River snakes across Kawuneeche Valley scarred by a fire near the headwaters of the Colorado River on May 13, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
A twisted Colorado River snakes across Kawuneeche Valley scarred by a fire near the headwaters of the Colorado River on May 13, 2023, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

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