After months of wrangling, several western states have agreed to a historic deal to fund federal funds to voluntarily withdraw less water from the drought-stricken Colorado River.
On Monday, the Biden administration announced that they had agreed to a proposal to split the upper reaches of the Colorado River — Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah — from the three downstream states — Arizona, California and Nevada. At least three million acre-feet of water over the next three years.
One acre-foot equals 326,000 gallons, or the amount of water it takes to flood one acre of land—about the size of a football field—to a depth of one foot.
In response to the reductions, the federal government will pay consumers about 2.3 million acre feet. The money will come from federal funds authorized in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Interior Department Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said the agreement “achieves the significant water protection necessary to sustain the Colorado River system through 2026.” The plan still must be finalized following a federal environmental review.
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California is the largest water user along the river. in TwitterGov. Gavin Newsom said the state is committed to making significant reductions in water use in a solution that ensures the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River system.
The Colorado River Basin provides water to more than 40 million people in seven states and 30 tribal nations. It supports a multi-billion dollar agricultural industry and a recreational industry built around water and nature activities.
Electricity generated by dams on the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, provides commercial and residential use. The reservoirs have deteriorated significantly due to long overuse and two decades of drought. But the wet and snowy winter allowed the levels to rise, reversing years of decline.
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Last month, the Interior Department released a draft environmental review of how to move the Colorado River’s main reservoirs and conserve water, including a controversial option that would allow the government to override states’ water rights and share the shortages equally among downstream watersheds. States.
The agency said it is temporarily withdrawing the draft supplemental environmental impact statement while it analyzes the states’ proposal based on the monitoring proposal submitted by the downstream states.
Write to Lauren Foster at lauren.foster@barrons.com
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