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Colorado River Plan to Cut Water Amid Drought Brings Uncertainty for Cities and Farmers
Federal cuts would reduce Colorado River use by 1.25 million acre-feet a year, raising risks for cities, farmers and tribal water users.
- Under a new Bureau of Reclamation plan, California, Nevada, and Arizona will collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet annually over the next two years to address the dwindling Colorado River, which serves 40 million people across the West.
- Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell hit record lows this month, while a record snow drought has left other Bureau reservoirs at their lowest levels in decades, creating cascading pressure on the entire Colorado River system.
- Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris likened the looming uncertainty to a "meteor strike," while Arizona Farm Bureau president John Boelts said farmers in Yuma, producing about 90% of winter leafy greens, remain reluctant to plant new acreage.
- Nevada raised the stakes this week by suing the Interior Department and the Bureau, arguing the Las Vegas region faces unmet basic needs if it absorbs planned reductions of up to 70% of its Colorado River water.
- Intense moisture in the coming months offers limited relief, as decades of drought cannot be reversed by seasonal weather patterns alone, leaving the region facing persistent water uncertainty for years ahead.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Associated Press News+19 Reposted by 19 other sources
Colorado River plan to cut water amid drought brings uncertainty for cities and farmers
Mayor Robert Morris of Cave Creek, Arizona, is worried about more water shortages from the severely depleted Colorado River.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left9Leaning Right2Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Center
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources are Center
48% Center
L 43%
C 48%
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