US Proposes 40 Percent Water Cuts for Colorado River
The US government proposed cutting water supplies by up to 40 percent for three Western states. The plan aims to stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs.
The United States government proposed cutting Colorado River water supplies by up to 40% for Arizona, California, and Nevada due to severe drought and overuse. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plan would cut water use by 3 million acre-feet per year—nearly double the 1.6 million acre-feet reduction previously offered by those three states. The cuts aim to stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river's severely depleted reservoirs.
The intervention follows an impasse in negotiations among the seven basin states, according to Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. He announced the 10-year federal plan at a Wednesday afternoon meeting of Arizona water stakeholders. The plan would be reviewed every two years based on water levels.
