The drought years leading up to 2023 in the western U.S. saw unprecedented drops in storage in places like Lake Mead and Lake Powell when these reservoirs reached record lows. As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation told states they may need to cut their Colorado River water consumption by 15 to 30 percent. The plentiful winter precipitation in the west brought relief to nearly halfa of the western states, and because of the significant snowpack, California says it can provide 100 percent of the water requested by cities and farms for the first time in years and is flooding farmland with surplus runoff to replenish precious groundwater aquifers. In early May, the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center released information that said up to 11 million acre-feet of water, or 172 percent of average, could flow into Lake Powell, raising its level by more than 70 feet, a level that has not been seen since 2020. On June 19, it was reported that the lake was more than 57 feet above its low.b Lake Mead, on the other hand, remains 30 percent full but has not been close to capacity for decades. Even with the record winter precipitation, western states must continue to conserve or their increasing populations combined with climate change will cause additional stress to the fragile system.
In late May, California, Arizona, and Nevada reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water from the lower basin of the Colorado River between now and 2026. This is about 13 percent of the three states’ usage. This settlement will make it unlikely that the bureau will enforce the 15 to 30 percent cuts that it projected in 2022 and does not impact the states that utilize the upper basin—Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Some 55 percent of the water cuts could come from Arizona, 30 percent from California, and 6 percent from Nevada. The federal government also agreed to pay water users roughly $1.2 billion in exchange for these states making such cuts. Arizona announced recently that it will put some of this funding toward the Gila River Indian Community’s Reclaimed Water Pipeline Project to increase water reuse by connecting reclaimed water to the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project facilities. When completed, the project will provide up to 20,000 acre-feet annually for system conservation, with a minimum of 78,000 acre-feet of the saved water committed to Lake Mead. However, this agreement is seen as a temporary fix until the states and the federal government can agree on a more permanent solution to the water crisis in the west. Those negotiations will not take place for another 2 to 3 years.
Regardless of the state regulation, there are always conflicting interests related to how much surface water or groundwater can be utilized or diverted for agriculture, industry, and/or population. Managing water runoff from flood events (stormwater) and reworking wastewater are probably the best sources to secure the world’s future in providing water for generations to come. Most states are behind the curve in developing plans to create and recharge underground aquifers and secure adequate water for their populations and agricultural needs. These plans also vary depending on where most communities get their water supply. In some cases, non-profits are being formed to privately manage aquifer storage. However, storage projects are technologically challenging, and the permitting process can be costly and lengthy.
References
- Half of US West out of drought, but not fully recovered | AP News
- Lake Powell Water Database (water-data.com)
https://www.nhonews.com/news/2023/may/23/half-western-united-states-out-drought-not-fully-r/
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-05-24/colorado-river-deal-offers-short-term-band-aid
https://www.vox.com/climate/2023/5/23/23734404/colorado-river-cuts-lake-mead-deal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/05/23/colorado-river-deal-water-cuts-explained/
https://www.courthousenews.com/arizona-announces-233-million-in-colorado-river-water-conservation-efforts/
