Reduced Colorado River Water Use | California is reluctant

Faced with the drying up of the Colorado River, seven American states had until January 31 to agree on a plan to reduce water consumption. Six of them made a joint proposal. But not California. But time is running out…

23 years of drought

The Colorado originates in the Rocky Mountains. In its course to the Gulf of California, it waters part of the territories of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and California. Part of Mexico, including Baja California, also depends on it. However, for 23 years, the entire region has been affected by a sustained drought. There is an urgent need to turn the tide.

A loss of 33%

For more than a century, the flow of the river has been estimated at 15 million acre-feet of water per year. From 2000 to 2022, this average has dropped to 12 million acre-feet. And in the past three years, throughput has fallen below 10 million acre-feet, a loss of 33%. Some 40 million people and a $5 billion agricultural industry are served by Colorado and its tributaries.

Moderate yourself

Faced with the situation, the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency responsible for the management of dams, power plants and canals in the western United States, summoned the states concerned: hear each other by January 31, 2023 on a plan to save between two and four million acre-feet. On Monday, six states proposed a 2.4 million acre-feet deal to keep the large reservoirs of Lakes Powell and Mead from falling below critical levels. Criticism in the sense that the hydroelectric power stations fed by these reservoirs would no longer be able to operate.

Who will be affected?

“Probably the agriculture industry for the most part,” said Jeffrey Silvertooth, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona and a specialist in agricultural water use, in an interview. “To date, all reduction measures that have come into force have affected the agricultural industry. In fact, 80% of Colorado’s water is allocated to this industry. »

California in its corner…

California has not agreed to this agreement, which provides not only for consumption restrictions, but also for efforts to reduce losses through evaporation and transport. California officials have said the state will come up with its own plan. “This response from California discourages me because it increases uncertainty,” wrote The Press The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program Director, Taylor Hawes. “But I’m encouraged to see that six states are ready to move forward. The region and the Colorado River need solutions to ensure its resilience and sustainability into the future. »

…because she has the most to lose

Why is California standing apart? Because she feels she has the most to lose. According to a federal calculation, each state is entitled to a set volume of Colorado water. California is entitled to 4.4 million acre-feet. Moreover, this state has a historical right giving it precedence over the water of the river. This causes friction with its neighbors.

The limited impact of torrential rains

The torrential rains recorded in recent weeks will have a positive but limited impact on the situation, believes Professor Silvertooth. “A lot of rain and snow is great,” he says, “but there wasn’t enough to reverse the drought. We currently have snow depth, the main source of the river, at 130% of average at the top of the Rockies. But it has been noted in recent years that with the arrival of heat, the snow melts and evaporates more quickly. »

Avoid legal action

Even if the deadline has passed, Taylor Hawes does not believe that the federal government will act today. “But decisions will have to be made quickly,” she says. The feds must decide whether to accept the six-state proposal even without California’s signature. The worst thing that could happen, in his opinion, would be for the litigation to take a legal turn. “Because it’s probably going to be settled in the Supreme Court and it can take decades. The Colorado River can’t wait that long. »

With the New York TimesColorado Politics, The Associated Press and United Press International