Tuesday Top of the Scroll: California is negotiating up to 400,000 acre-feet in Colorado River water cuts amid drought
California water agencies that depend on Colorado River supply are quietly negotiating combined reductions of between 320,000 and 400,000 acre-feet from the fast-dwindling Lake Mead reservoir next year…. California has the largest and oldest rights to Colorado River water, totaling 4.4 million acre-feet per year, with the bulk of that piped to farmers served by the Imperial Irrigation District, at the state’s hot, dry southeastern end…. It’s unclear if the amounts being discussed would be enough to assuage harsh criticism from officials in other river basin states who are already being forced to make cuts under previous legal agreements, or more importantly, to satisfy federal officials who say 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in reduced use is needed from seven states in 2022 to keep the system and its huge, drought-ravaged reservoirs afloat.
Related articles:
- The Revelator – Blog: Left out to dry – wildlife threatened by Colorado River basin water crisis
- The Associated Press: Stressed Colorado River keeps California desert farms alive
- Voice of San Diego: A Drought Conversation with California’s Natural Resources Secretary