Future water conservation program almost guaranteed in Upper Basin
After years of studying and experimenting with pilot programs, the future of Colorado River management will almost certainly include a permanent water conservation program for the Upper Basin states. Upper Basin officials have submitted refinements to their March 2024 plan for how water should be released from Lake Powell and Lake Mead as well as how shortages should be shared after the current guidelines expire in 2026. In it, they offer up the potential for up to 200,000 acre-feet per year of water conservation.
Other Colorado River news:
- Office of Sen. Alex Padilla: News release: Padilla, Calvert introduce bipartisan bill to support the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program
- Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): Trump spending slash could put Colorado River conservation in ‘world of hurt’
- Sky-Hi News (Grand County, Colo.): A Colorado nonprofit is appealing a land exchange in Summit and Grand counties as federal officials move to complete the swap
- NPR: Podcast: The Indicator from Planet Money: Three reasons a water pipeline can’t fix the Colorado River crisis
- KUNC (Greenley, Colo.): Podcast: How cloud seeding could make it rain (and snow) in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin