Nearly $1 billion sought by California desert water agencies to save Colorado River
The Biden Administration is finalizing agreements to pay an estimated $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars to prop up the Colorado River system that provides 40 million people with water. California desert water districts who are entitled to the most river water are vying for nearly $900 million of those funds, according to interviews with key negotiators and funding announcements to date. In exchange, they would leave nearly 1.4 million acre-feet of water in Lake Mead, one of two massive reservoirs along the river. That’s almost half of the nearly trillion gallons that California, Nevada and Arizona officials on Monday told federal authorities they could collectively conserve through 2026. That proposal and related environmental reviews must still be approved by federal officials.
Related articles:
- Associated Press: Breakthrough proposal would aid drought-stricken Colorado River as 3 Western states offer cuts
- Vox: Why the new Colorado River agreement is a big deal — even if you don’t live out West
- Desert Sun: Nearly $1 billion sought by California desert water agencies to save Colorado River
- KSL – Salt Lake City: Lake Powell bounces back from record-low water levels
- Modern Farmer: At Last, States Reach a Colorado River Deal: Pay Farmers Not to Farm
- Time: Western States Finally Strike Colorado River Deal. But The Hard Work Has Only Just Begun
