US government planning dramatic Colorado River water cuts due to drought, overuse
Key takeaways
- Three million acre-feet of water is enough to supply 6 million to 9 million households for one year, more than the number of homes in Arizona and Nevada.
- Buschatzke said the federal plan would be either implemented under existing Colorado River law or through agreements among the states.
- Buschatzke described the proposed federal cuts as “sobering.”
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize The US government has proposed a new water-sharing plan for the drought-stricken Colorado River that could cut up to 40% of current supplies to Arizona, California and Nevada, according to a senior Arizona official.
With a 20-year-old plan expiring this year, and talks between seven states that share the river at an impasse, the federal government late last week intervened with a strategy to deal with severe water shortages, according to Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
The US Bureau of Reclamation proposed a 10-year plan in which Arizona, California and Nevada would potentially cut water use by up to 3 million acre-feet per year to maintain water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river’s severely depleted reservoirs, Buschatzke told a meeting of Arizona water stakeholders on Wednesday. Three million acre-feet of water is enough to supply 6 million to 9 million households for one year, more than the number of homes in Arizona and Nevada.