Opinion: Will the Drought Contingency Plan be enough to save Lake Mead? Maybe – for now
When the current drought began in 2000, the three Lower Basin states that take water from the lake (Arizona, California and Nevada) suddenly awakened to the problem. After several years of difficult negotiations, they agreed on a Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) that, with previously agreed cuts, would bring the lake into balance. Hoping the drought would lift before too long, the DCP negotiators agreed to spread the cuts over coming years in response to changing lake levels. However, as the drought continues and intensifies, the Drought Contingency Plan is looking more like a Drought Certainty Plan.
-Written by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt.Related articles:
- The Colorado Sun: Opinion - We’re running out of water. It’s time to overhaul Colorado’s storage system
- Arizona Daily Star: Tucson monsoon slightly improves drought conditions
- Las Vegas Sun Newspaper: Editorial – Western cities’ water shortages show we have little time to waste
- JFleck at Inkstain: Is the Colorado River “Stress Test” stressful enough?