The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation have announced the extension of 18 important short-term agreements to conserve water levels in the Colorado River. The news comes amid great uncertainty over the river's long-term future.
In the press release, Reclamation Acting Commissioner David Palumbo said that the bureau was "committed to securing the future viability of Colorado River water supplies in the near-term and we work with all of our basin partners on long-term actions."
The Colorado River runs through seven states, organized into the Upper Basin of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah and the Lower Basin of California, Arizona, and Nevada. It's also an important water source for 30 tribal nations and Mexico. The latter was the subject of a 1944 bilateral agreement to share water sources between the two nations. In 2023, the Lower Basin states agreed on cuts aided by federal grants due to expire in 2026, per The New York Times.
Forty million people rely on the Colorado River, which feeds Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and both are running critically low. As The Washington Post reported, the reservoirs were at 92% capacity in 1999, but persistent droughts and limited seasonal snowfall have dwindled levels to less than 25%. The low levels have been compounded by warming temperatures caused by pollution from dirty fuel sources. Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, and heat waves are causing the river to dry up. These developments have caused the Colorado River basin to lose 10 trillion gallons of water between 2001 and 2021, per the American Geophysical Union.
The problem is compounded by the many stakeholders. Each state has its own priorities, and reaching a consensus is difficult. So extending the short-term measures is a welcome, albeit temporary, solution to a complicated problem. It goes to show that some of the most important actions in conservation occur locally and further underlines the importance of staying informed about the issues.
The stakes could scarcely be higher, but the commitment of all involved is not in doubt. As Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior Scott Cameron said, "The Colorado River is essential to the American West, and Interior and Reclamation is dedicated to delivering life-sustaining water and harnessing the significant hydropower the river offers."
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