On Tuesday, the Biden administration proposed measures that could drastically reduce water supplies in seven western states due to severe drought conditions spanning decades.
The Department of the Interior released a draft proposal highlighting two likely courses of action to curb deteriorating water levels in the Colorado River Basin. The proposals would each mandate federal supply reductions for states which depend on the river system, providing water to over 40 million Americans and driving western state economies.
Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau stated, "recognizing the severity of the worsening drought, the Biden-Harris administration is bringing every tool and every resource to bear through the President's Investing in America agenda to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future."
Besides providing water to millions in the US, the Colorado River's 1,450-mile length supports 5.5 million acres of agricultural lands, supplies electricity via hydroelectric dams, and offers key recreational and ecological uses. The river provides water resources to seven states divided into two groups: the Upper Basin and Lower Basin. The Upper Basin comprises Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, while the Lower Basin includes Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Worsened drought conditions have led to lower water levels in the man-made Lake Powell near the Utah-Arizona border and the Lake Mead near the Nevada-Arizona border. The Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona and the Hoover Dam in Nevada control water flows from the respective reservoirs to the Lower Basin states. This lowered water levels threaten both water supplies and hydropower-generated electricity for millions of Americans.
The DOI has proposed two courses of action, detailed in a draft supplemental environmental impact statement. One proposal entails Lower Basin state water supply reductions based on the seniority of entities receiving water from the reservoirs. This would benefit the California agriculture industry but disproportionately impact junior water rights holders such as an Arizona entity supplying water to Phoenix. The second proposal would impose uniform water supply reductions across Lower Basin states, regardless of seniority. This proposal would decrease water for California farmers supplying a large share of the nation's fruits and vegetables.
The federal government may reduce supplies by up to two million acre-feet, equivalent to 652 billion gallons of water, based on both proposals. The DOI also provided a no-action alternative where the government continues to implement the current plan without any alterations.
Governor Joe Lombardo of Nevada stated that Nevada has long been a leader in urban water efficiency, and its communities have a strong water conservation ethic. Colorado River Basin water reductions have been intensely debated among western states dependent on the river system.
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