The US government has proposed a new plan for the distribution of Colorado River water, which entails significant supply cuts for Arizona, California, and Nevada. This was reported by Reuters, citing Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke, according to UNN.
Details
According to him, the US Bureau of Reclamation is proposing a 10-year plan that could involve reducing water consumption by up to 3 million acre-feet per year. This is nearly double the previous proposal from the three Lower Basin states, which had previously agreed to cut usage by 1.6 million acre-feet.
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The new plan aims to maintain water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs, which are shrinking rapidly due to prolonged drought and over-allocation of resources. It is estimated that 3 million acre-feet of water is enough to supply between 6 and 9 million households for a year.
Federal government intervened due to failure of interstate negotiations
The current 20-year water distribution plan expires this year; however, the seven states that utilize Colorado River resources have been unable to agree on new terms. The federal government has proposed its own version, which could be implemented either through an interstate agreement or under existing Colorado River law.
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Tom Buschatzke called the proposed cuts "sobering." He warned that the Central Arizona Project, which delivers water to central and southern Arizona, could potentially be left without supplies.
"I think we all know – if Mother Nature doesn't start doing her job, it's going to be closer to the bottom end of that range,"