As the Colorado River Shrinks, Washington Prepares to Spread the Pain

WASHINGTON — The seven states that rely on water from the shrinking Colorado River These are very unlikely to We agree to Negotiators state that they will negotiate for deep water reductions. the federal government to Forbidden cuts the first time in the Water supply to 40 Million Americans

Interior Department wanted to know the states to You must submit a plan voluntarily by January 31 to Together, they were cut the How much water they drink the Colorado. These cut orders were driven by a dramatic decline in Lake Powell (which supplies water and electricity to Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California) and a demand that was unmatched in American history. The water level has declined because of droughts, climate change, population growth and an increase in the number of people living there. the Lakes to plummet.

“Think of the Colorado River Basin as a slow-motion disaster,” Kevin Moran is the director of federal and state water policy advocacy. the Environmental Defense Fund. “We’re really at a moment of reckoning.”

Negotiators: the It seems unlikely that a voluntary agreement will be reached. That would be the This is the second occasion in six months. the Colorado River These include states that are also included in ColoradoNew Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming have not met the deadline to reach a consensus about cuts. the Biden administration to Avoid a catastrophe of the River system

Without a deal the Interior Department is responsible for managing flows the River, you must force the cuts. This would cause a break the A century-old tradition has been established by states to determine how to Please share the river’s water. It would almost certainly do that. the administration’s increasingly urgent efforts to You can save the Colorado Do not get involved in long-running legal battles.

It’s over. the Colorado River It is the The latest evidence of climate change’s overwhelming impact is shown in this example the foundations of American life — not only physical infrastructure, like dams and reservoirs, but also the These systems have been made possible by the legal foundations.

A century’s worth of laws, which assign different priorities to Colorado River users based on how long they’ve used the water is up against an opposing philosophy. It says: the climate changes, water cuts should be apportioned based on what’s practical.

This dispute’s outcome will define the future. the The future the USA, southwestern.

“We’re using more water than nature is going to provide,” Eric Kuhn worked as a general manager on water agreements in the past. the Colorado River Water Conservation District. “Someone is going to have to cut back very significantly.”

These are the rules for who receives water the Colorado RiverOn what was a base, and on how much it was, we always had a basis. to You can earn a degree on magic thinking.

These were the states that existed in 1922. the river negotiated the Colorado River Compact is what apportioned the Two groups of states share water. These are the so-called “upper basin” statesColoradoNew Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming would each receive 7.5 million acres per year. For a total amount of 8.5 million acres, the lower basin (Arizona and Nevada), received an additional 8.5 million. Mexico was guaranteed by a later treaty. the River reaches the sea 1.5 million acres.

A acre-foot is sufficient water to Cover an acre with one foot of water. That’s roughly as much water as two typical households use in a year.)

But the This is the premise the river’s flow would average 17.5 million acre-feet each year turned out to Be faulty. The over the past century, the river’s actual flow has averaged less than 15 million acre-feet each year.

This gap was closed for decades. the Fact that there are some the river’s users, including Arizona and some Native American tribes, lacked the Canals and other infrastructure to Make sure they use all of their allowances. As infrastructure expanded, so did their use of the full amount. the On Demand the river.

Then, the The drought struck. The drought lasted from 2000 to 2022 the river’s annual flow averaged just over 12 million acre-feet; in each of the Three years ago the The total flow was below 10,000,000

Bureau of Reclamation is an internal office. the Interior Department, which manages the River system has been sought to Get states to offset the water loss to Reduce their consumption. It pushed California to the limit in 2003 after it had exceeded its annual allocation. the Largest in the basin, to Respect that limit. 2007 and 2019, respectively. the department negotiated still deeper reductions among the states.

It wasn’t enough. This summer was even more. the Lake Mead’s water level has dropped to 1.040 feet is its lowest point.

If the Below 950 feet the water level the Hoover Dam won’t be available anymore to Hydroelectric power can be generated. Water would not be available at 895 feet to pass the dam at all — a condition called “deadpool.”

This is June the Commission of the Bureau of Reclamation Camille C. Touton the States 60 days to Make a plan to Their use should be reduced Colorado River Water for two to four million acre-feet — about 20 to 41% of the river’s entire flow.

Ms. Touton stated that she prefered that the states develop a solution. However, she stated that they could not if they failed to do so. the Bureau would take action.

“It is in our authorities to act unilaterally to protect the system,” Ms. Touton spoke to lawmakers. “And we will protect the system.”

The deadline of 60 days passed. There was no state plan. the cuts the bureau demanded. And the bureau didn’t present a plan of its own.

According to a spokesperson for Ms. Touton, she is not available to comment.

‘You can’t take blood from a stone’

The department’s latest request and new deadline, set for Jan. 31, has led to There will be a fresh round of negotiations and finger-pointing. the states.

ColoradoNew Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming claim they cannot to They have a significantly lower water use. These states receive their water mostly from streams, and not from large reservoirs such as in. the lower basin states. As the This flow is reduced by drought the Already, their water consumption has declined to According to officials, they have used about half of the allotment.

“Clearly, the lion’s share of what needs to be done has to be done by the lower basin states,” said Estevan López, the New Mexico negotiator who led the Bureau of Reclamation during the Obama administration.

There is also a lot of it. the Nevada is the only state that has been allotted 300,000. the Colorado. Even if the state’s water deliveries were stopped entirely, rendering Las Vegas effectively uninhabitable, the The government could be just a little closer to This is their goal.

Nevada already has some. the basin’s most aggressive water-conservation strategies, according to John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The state even banned certain types of lawns.

“We’re using two-thirds of our allocation,” In an interview, Mr. Entsminger stated. “You can’t take blood from a stone.”

Subdivisions or farms?

California and Arizona have the right to these rights. to Between 4.4 and 2.8 millions acre-feet the Colorado — typically the Largest and Third-largest Allotments the seven states. Both sides appear to be convinced that the other should prevail. to Make more cuts

California the The largest user Colorado River Water is the Imperial Irrigation District is an organization that has rights to 3.1 million acre-feet — as much as Arizona and Nevada put together. The water is used by farmers to plant alfalfa and lettuce on 800 acres. the Imperial Valley, In the California, southeast corner

California residents have senior water rights to Arizona, which means that Arizona’s supply should be cut before California is forced to Take reductions according to JB Hamby Vice President of the Chairman of the Imperial Irrigation District the Colorado River Board of California which is currently in negotiations the state.

“We have sound legal footing,” In an interview, Mr. Hamby stated. In an interview, he stated that Arizona’s fast growth should have made it ready. the Colorado River Drying up. “That’s kind of a responsibility on their part to plan for these risk factors.”

Tina Shields, Imperial’s water department manager, put the Argumentation should be made more clearly This would be difficult. to Tell the California farmers who are dependent on the Colorado River to Stop growing crops, she stated. “so that other folks continue to build subdivisions.”

However, Hamby acknowledged that significant reducing the cost of living was possible. the Arizona has large urban areas that require water. “a little tricky.” California is home to the Californians. to Reduce its usage Colorado River water by as much as 400,000 acre-feet — up to One-fifth the Cuts that the Biden Administration has sought.

If the Administration wants to impose deeper cuts on California, he said, it’s welcome to try.

“Reclamation can do whatever Reclamation wants,” He said. “The question is, will it withstand legal challenge?”

Equity or equity? the Law

You can find more information here the Other side of the ColoradoArizona officials recognize that the These laws govern the They may not be able to get the river flowing in their favor. However, they are not without their points of view.

Arizona’s status as a junior rights holder was cemented in 1968, when Congress agreed to Pay for the Central Arizona Project is an aqueduct which carries water. the Colorado to Phoenix, Tucson and the These farms surround them.

But the There was a catch to the money. In return for their support, California’s legislators insisted on a provision that their state’s water rights take priority over the aqueduct.

Arizona should have known that the effects of climate change on Arizona’s ability to reduce its population would be permanent. the river’s flow, it might never have agreed to That deal was made by Tom Buschatzke director of the state’s Department of Water Resources.

Arizona’s junior rights have earned it the title of “The Best State in America.” taken the brunt These voluntary cuts are the latest. The state’s position now, Mr. Buschatzke said, is that everyone should make a meaningful contribution, and that nobody should lose everything. “That’s an equitable outcome, even if it doesn’t necessarily strictly follow the law.”

There are other arguments in Arizona’s favor. Around half the Water delivered throughout the Central Arizona Project goes to Native American tribes — including those in the Gila River Indian Community. to 311 800 acre feet per year

The United States can’t cut off that water, said Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community “That would be a rejection of the trust obligation that the federal government has for our water.”

Tommy Beaudreau (Deputy Secretary of) spoke to us this week in an interview the Interior Department the The federal government could consider “equity, and public health, and safety” It weighs approximately how to spread the reductions.

The department will compare California’s preference to base cuts on seniority of water rights with Arizona’s suggestion to Cut allotments in ways that are meant to “meet the basic needs of communities in the lower basin,” Mr. Beaudreau said.

“We’re in a period of 23 years of sustained drought and overdraws on the system,” He concluded. “I’m not interested, under those circumstances, in assigning blame.”