Here’s why 3 decent winters in a row still isn’t enough to fill Lake Powell

What could future Colorado River water cuts look like? States look to this year’s weak snowpack to find out.

If any of the Colorado River management options were used to manage this year’s sub-par snowpack, Arizona, California and Nevada would be forced to slash 17% to 43% of their legal share. Coloradans would be focused on voluntary conservation. Colorado River officials are debating six options for how to manage the overstressed river after 2026 with the goal of reaching a seven-state agreement by May. Under this year’s water conditions, all of the …

Here’s why 3 decent winters in a row still isn’t enough to fill Lake Powell

The Colorado River and its reservoirs supply water to the 40 million people across the West who rely on the Colorado River.

INDIO, Calif. (KUNA) – Coachella Valley Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio) has accepted his appointment to the Colorado River Forum. This means he will be involved in decisions that will define the future of water policy in our region. The Forum brings together legislators from the seven Colorado River Basin states and is a key program of the Council of Western State Governments (CSG West). The goal is for states to collaborate to share ideas a…

Report: Can water reuse save the #ColoradoRiver?An analysis of wastewater recycling in the Colorado River Basin states — University of California Los Angeles

Click the link to read the report on the UCLA website (Noah Garrison, Lauren Stack, Jessica McKay, and Mark Gold). Here’s the executive summary: The impacts of climate change and prolonged drought on water scarcity in the Western United States have accelerated since the end of the 20th century. The Colorado River has been strained by a history of excessive withdrawals and long-term drought. Increasingly less water is available across the seven …

Improving Water Recycling to Address Colorado River Shortage

California is lagging behind in water recycling, as per a recent study by UCLA researchers. The state is only recycling 22% of its treated wastewater, far behind Nevada at 85% and Arizona at 52%. This issue is crucial as the region faces a dire water shortage crisis due to the chronic deficits in the Colorado […]