California, Arizona and Nevada agree to take less water from ailing Colorado River
Trying to stave off dangerously low levels of water in Lake Mead, officials in California, Arizona and Nevada have reached an agreement to significantly reduce the amount they take from the Colorado River. The problem took on new urgency this summer when the federal government declared a first-ever water shortage in the 86-year-old reservoir near Las Vegas. The agreement, which was signed Wednesday after four months of negotiations, aims to keep an extra 1 million acre-feet of water in the lake over the next two years.
Related articles:
- U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Reclamation to focus on partnerships during annual Colorado River water conference
- Arizona Republic: Arizona joins Nevada, California and tribes in a pledge to slash Colorado River water use
- AP News: States volunteer to take more cuts in Colorado River water
- The Hill: State, federal agencies announce $200M investment in Lake Mead
- Las Vegas Review Journal: Nevada, 2 other states agree to buoy Lake Mead elevation
- Tucson.com: New Colorado River water savings plan doesn’t go far enough, researcher warns
- Durango Herald: Colorado pushes its use of West’s major river to the limit, new study shows
- Resilience: Blog: Colorado River trouble, rainwater harvesting, private wells, and the future of desalination