3 Western states agree to cut Colorado River use in breakthrough water pact
California, Arizona and Nevada announced an agreement on Monday to cut their use of the Colorado River by another 14% in exchange for $1.2 billion in federal grants. The landmark agreement, which lasts through 2026, would avert mandatory cuts set by the federal government to keep the crucial Colorado River basin from collapsing in the face of chronic overuse and a long drought exacerbated by climate change.
The 1,450-mile-long Colorado River provides drinking water to 40 million people in seven U.S. states, part of Mexico, and several Native American tribes. It also irrigates 5.5 million acres of productive farmland.
The Interior Department needs to sign off on the pact before it takes effect. Camille Calimlim Touton, commissioner of the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, called the agreement "an important step forward toward our shared goal of forging a sustainable path for the basin that millions of people call home."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The three states agreed to reduce their Colorado River consumption by 700,000 acre-feet over the next three years, while local water districts, farm operators, cities, and Native American tribes would cut their usage by 2.3 million acre-feet. An acre-foot is the amount of water used by two to three households in a typical year.
The voluntary cuts are about half of what the federal government said were needed last year, but an exceptionally wet winter and unusually bountiful snow pack gave the seven states that use the Colorado River a reprieve. The two dammed reservoirs on the river, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have risen 7 feet and 26 feet, respectively, since April, after falling to crisis levels in 2022. Lake Mead is now 30% full and Lake Powell 27%.
Arizona, California and Nevada draw their Colorado River allotments from Lake Mead while four Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — use water directly from the river and its tributaries. All seven basin states still have to reach a longer-term arrangement for use of the dwindling Colorado River after 2026. Monday's agreement is "a great start," Jack Schmidt, director of the Utah State University's Center for Colorado River Studies, tells the Los Angeles Times. "It's about 25% of where we ultimately need to get."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
'It may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 simple items to help make your airplane seat more comfortable
The Week Recommends Gel cushions and inflatable travel pillows make a world of difference
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How safe are cruise ships in storms?
The Explainer The vessels are always prepared
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is threatening Florida's Key deer
The Explainer Questions remain as to how much effort should be put into saving the animals
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is Cop29 a 'waste of time'?
Today's Big Question World leaders stay away as spectre of Donald Trump haunts flagship UN climate summit
By The Week UK Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cuba roiled by island-wide blackouts, Hurricane Oscar
Speed Read The country's power grid collapsed for the fourth time in just two days
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Earth's carbon sinks are collapsing
Under the Radar Forests and soil are not operating as usual
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Why the Earth's water cycle is under threat
Under The Radar Disturbances in the system that moves water around the world place more than half of global food production at risk
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published