Water crisis worsens on Colorado River

The US federal government has taken unprecedented steps, as the Colorado River’s reservoirs continue to drop to new lows. The government has told seven Western states reliant on the river - Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California - to find ways of drastically reducing water usage for the next couple of months.

Two of the nation’s largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, could decline to dangerously low levels next year. Currently, the lakes are at just 28% of full capacity. The Interior Department believes the emergency cuts are necessary to reduce the risk of this occurring.

Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton has said that cuts of between 2 million and 4 million acre-feet will be needed. Last year, a combined total of 7 million acre-feet of Colorado River water was used by California, Arizona and Nevada.

State officials and managers of water agencies have yet to figure out how they will accomplish such large cuts in water usage. The Colorado River is a vital source for 40 million people and farmlands.

Image from Los Angeles Times