US Bureau of Reclamation: Colorado River Basin Water Cuts to Preserve Reliability

• The federal government has released a final report on managing Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which imposes severe reductions to water received by California, Nevada, and Arizona.
• The proposed plan aims to provide flexibility to changing conditions through 2036 while preserving opportunities for basin states to continue negotiating towards durable solutions.
• The preferred alternative calls for annual releases from Lake Powell between 5 million acre-feet and 12 million acre-feet of water.
• California, Arizona, and Nevada are set to receive severe cuts in water allocations, with maximum shortages reaching up to 1.96 million acre-feet for Arizona.

The Colorado River basin is facing unprecedented hydrologic conditions, with water use exceeding incoming flow most years since 2000. This has led to a severe drought that affects not only the river itself but also the two largest reservoirs in the country: Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The combined levels of these lakes haven't been this low since 1963. As a result, the federal government is forced to take drastic measures to ensure the reliability and resilience of the Colorado River system. The Bureau of Reclamation's plan aims to provide flexibility to changing conditions through 2036 while preserving opportunities for basin states to continue negotiating towards durable solutions.

The final environmental impact statement, a result of a three-year National Environmental Policy Act process, lays the groundwork for the operating guidelines for the Colorado River basin that were released by the Interior Department today. Under this 10-year framework, more specific operating plans will be developed by the Interior Department every two years through 2036, unless an agreement is reached among the basin states. The preferred alternative calls for annual releases from Lake Powell between 5 million acre-feet and 12 million acre-feet of water. This framework creates operational principles that include thresholds and ranges for operations, ensuring reliability while allowing flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions.

The proposed reductions in water allocations will have significant impacts on irrigation, power generation, and drinking water supplies. California, Arizona, and Nevada are set to receive severe cuts, with maximum shortages reaching 0.9 million acre-feet for California, 1.96 million for Arizona, and 0.21 million for Nevada. This will affect over 5 million acres of farmland and the power source for over 40 million people in seven states. Lawyers advising clients on water use and management in the Colorado River basin must be aware of these potential reductions and monitor the implementation and biennial updates of the operating guidelines by the Interior Department.

Lawyers advising clients on water use and management in the Colorado River basin should be aware of the potential for severe reductions to water allocations, which could impact irrigation, power generation, and drinking water supplies. They should also monitor the development of operating guidelines by the Interior Department, which may impose new compliance obligations on water users.

Source: Original reporting via Courthouse News Service