California, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado River
Summary
California, Arizona, and Nevada have proposed voluntary water-saving measures for the next three years to help manage shrinking water supplies from the Colorado River. The plan aims to save water and buy time while seven states with water rights from the river continue to negotiate how to share cuts due to low reservoir levels.Key Facts
- The Colorado River provides water to about 40 million people in the western United States.
- Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river’s two main reservoirs, are at historically low water levels.
- The three states’ plan would save 3.2 million acre-feet of water through voluntary cuts by 2028.
- Additional water savings of 700,000 acre-feet are expected from conservation and infrastructure improvements.
- The plan includes a conservation pool to support federal trust obligations to Arizona tribes.
- The seven states with legal water rights have not reached an agreement on sharing water cuts.
- Northern basin states want southern basin states to reduce their water use more, while southern states want all to share responsibility.
- Snowpack in the upper Colorado River basin is currently very low, at 23% of the historical median, worsening water shortages.
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