Arizona, California and Nevada back 1 million acre-feet cut in California Arizona Nevada Water Agreement
Arizona, California and Nevada announced the california arizona nevada water agreement this month, a temporary plan to save up to 1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2028. The proposal adds to cuts already announced by the three states and Mexico, bringing the proposed total savings to 3.2 million acre-feet.
Tom Buschatzke, Arizona’s lead negotiator, said earlier this week, “We have kind of a crisis situation that this past winter has created,” and, “We need to do everything we can, and that’s what our plan does, to find a short-term fix.”
Lower Basin states seek relief
Nevada, Arizona and California make up the Colorado River’s Lower Basin, and under their proposal Nevada and Arizona would take about one-third less water than they are entitled to annually from Lake Mead. The plan still needs approval from federal officials and state lawmakers, a reminder that the agreement is not yet settled policy.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is also set to release more water and earlier than usual into Lake Powell. That move comes as some of the rules that govern the water-sharing agreement expire this year, while negotiations among the states have mostly broken down.
Colorado River pressure
The Colorado River supports 40 million people across seven U.S. states, two Mexican states and Native American tribes. Farmers rely on it to irrigate millions of acres, and some 155 utilities depend on the river for hydropower. The river’s shrinking supply has put the new plan under immediate scrutiny from users who depend on Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
Kevin Moran of the Environmental Defense Fund said earlier this week, “The Colorado River is tanking,” and, “We are at the 11th hour in needing to have strong and collaborative solutions to protect the health of the river.”
Federal review ahead
About four months have passed since the states had substantive talks, leaving the federal approval process as the next gate for the 1 million acre-feet proposal. For farmers, utilities and the communities tied to the Colorado River system, the practical question is whether the savings plan can be approved fast enough to ease pressure on reservoirs and hydropower before the current rules run out this year.
