Half of US West out of drought, but not fully recovered
1 year, 7 months ago

Half of US West out of drought, but not fully recovered

Associated Press  

DENVER — Nearly half of the U.S. West has emerged from drought this spring, but the welcome wet conditions haven’t entirely replenished the region, scientists said Tuesday. Hydrologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said deep snowpack across much of the West will bring short-term relief, but the equally deep “bathtub rings” at Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs are a reminder of the long road to bringing supply and demand in balance. A May 1 forecast by the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center said up to 11 million acre-feet of water, or 172% of average, could flow into Lake Powell, a massive reservoir that stores Colorado River water for Arizona, Nevada, California, Mexico and dozens of tribes. As Lake Powell and Lake Mead hit record low levels last summer, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation told states they would need to cut their water use by 15% to 30%.

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History of this topic

As Colorado River states await water cuts, they struggle to find agreement on longer-term plans
4 months, 1 week ago

As Colorado River states await water cuts, they struggle to find agreement on longer-term plans

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The federal government is expected to announce water cuts soon that would affect some of the 40 million people reliant on the Colorado River, the powerhouse of the U.S. West. In 2007, following years of drought, the seven U.S. states in the basin — Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — and the federal government …

As a deadline approaches, Colorado River states are still far apart on water sharing
9 months, 2 weeks ago

As a deadline approaches, Colorado River states are still far apart on water sharing

NPR  

As a deadline approaches, Colorado River states are still far apart on water sharing Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Hager/KUNC Alex Hager/KUNC Ahead of a deadline next week, the seven states that share the Colorado River have revealed competing plans for how the river should be managed in the future. Reservoirs drying up Mitchell and her Upper Basin colleagues …

‘We can do better’: Western states divided over long-term plans for Colorado River water
9 months, 2 weeks ago

‘We can do better’: Western states divided over long-term plans for Colorado River water

LA Times  

With climate change compounding the strains on the Colorado River, seven Western states are starting to consider long-term plans for reducing water use to prevent the river’s reservoirs from reaching critically low levels in the years to come. In one camp, the three states in the river’s lower basin — California, Arizona and Nevada — say their approach would share …

Risks ease for Colorado River reservoirs after wet winter, but long-term challenges loom
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Risks ease for Colorado River reservoirs after wet winter, but long-term challenges loom

LA Times  

After a wet year and a push to conserve water in the Southwest, federal officials say the risk of the Colorado River’s reservoirs declining to critically low levels has substantially eased for the next couple of years. Touton called it a significant milestone, saying the Biden administration has successfully “staved off the immediate possibility of the Colorado River system’s reservoirs …

Western states will not lose as much Colorado River water in 2024, despite long-term challenges
1 year, 4 months ago

Western states will not lose as much Colorado River water in 2024, despite long-term challenges

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Federal officials said Tuesday they will ease water cuts for Western states reliant on the Colorado River in 2024, thanks to a slightly improved outlook, but long-term challenges remain. The tribe gets Colorado River water through the the same aqueduct system that delivers river water to Arizona’s major cities. One farming district in Arizona’s Pinal County outside of …

10 trillion gallons of water lost in Colorado River Basin due to rising temperatures: Report
1 year, 4 months ago

10 trillion gallons of water lost in Colorado River Basin due to rising temperatures: Report

Hindustan Times  

The harmful effects of global warming are being felt very starkly across the United States. According to a report published by CNN, the Colorado River Basin has lost more than 10 trillion gallons of water between 2000 and 2021 due to rising temperatures. Colorado River Notably, the Colorado River runs through seven Western states and provides water for drinking, irrigation …

Breakthrough proposal would aid drought-stricken Colorado River as 3 Western states offer cuts
1 year, 7 months ago

Breakthrough proposal would aid drought-stricken Colorado River as 3 Western states offer cuts

Associated Press  

LAS VEGAS — Arizona, Nevada and California said Monday they’re willing to cut back on their use of the dwindling Colorado River in exchange for money from the federal government -- and to avoid forced cuts as drought threatens the key water supply for the U.S. West. Though adoption of the plan isn’t certain, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille …

Half of US West out of drought, but not fully recovered
1 year, 7 months ago

Half of US West out of drought, but not fully recovered

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Hydrologists from the National Oceanic …

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy
1 year, 8 months ago

Editorial: Drought and flood, California’s double whammy

LA Times  

Just as federal officials were laying out alternative scenarios last week for steep water supply cuts from the Colorado River due to the drying Southwest, California officials were warning that this year’s historic Sierra snowpack could flood much of the state later this year. Lake Mead, and farther up the Colorado River, Lake Powell — Southern California’s two big out-of-state …

US floats options to reduce water pulled from Colorado River
1 year, 8 months ago

US floats options to reduce water pulled from Colorado River

Associated Press  

BOULDER CITY, Nev. — The Biden administration released an environmental analysis Tuesday that outlined two ways that seven Western states and tribes reliant on the overtapped Colorado River could cut their use, but declined to publicly take a side on the best option. But Beaudreau said states, Native American tribes and other water users recognized that it would be in …

Federal government considers major water cuts to protect Colorado River
1 year, 8 months ago

Federal government considers major water cuts to protect Colorado River

LA Times  

The federal government on Tuesday laid out two options for preventing the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs from falling to critically low levels, saying water cuts could be imposed across the Southwest by following the water-rights priority system or by using an across-the-board percentage. Under a second alternative, the Bureau of Reclamation would analyze the effects of reductions “distributed in the …

Drought over? Spring outlook finds relief -- and flood risk
1 year, 9 months ago

Drought over? Spring outlook finds relief -- and flood risk

Associated Press  

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Record snowfall and rain have helped to loosen drought’s grip on parts of the western U.S. as national forecasters and climate experts warned Thursday that some areas should expect more flooding as the snow begins to melt. Paul Miller, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, said that sounds like a lot …

Colorado River crisis is so bad, lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes
1 year, 10 months ago

Colorado River crisis is so bad, lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes

LA Times  

The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is the deepest it’s been in decades, but those storms that were a boon for Northern California won’t make much of a dent in the long-term water shortage for the Colorado River Basin — an essential source of supplies for Southern California. “To think that these things would ever refill requires some kind of …

States miss deadline to address Colorado River water crisis; pressure builds on California
1 year, 10 months ago

States miss deadline to address Colorado River water crisis; pressure builds on California

LA Times  

Water levels in Lake Powell have been dropping during the past 23 years of drought in the Colorado River Basin. In announcing the proposal Monday, Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, called it a key step in the “ongoing dialogue” among the seven states “as we continue to seek a collaborative solution to stabilize the Colorado …

Why heavy winter rain and snow won't be enough to pull the West out of a megadrought
1 year, 11 months ago

Why heavy winter rain and snow won't be enough to pull the West out of a megadrought

NPR  

Why heavy winter rain and snow won't be enough to pull the West out of a megadrought Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Hager/KUNC Alex Hager/KUNC This winter, the West has been slammed by wet weather. Snow piled high in the Rockies is crucial for the Colorado River — a water lifeline for people from Wyoming to Mexico in an …

The West’s snow boom could ease the water crisis. But experts worry more hot, dry weather is coming
1 year, 11 months ago

The West’s snow boom could ease the water crisis. But experts worry more hot, dry weather is coming

CNN  

CNN — A parade of storms has given the West some relief from its historic drought, replenishing the soil, filling reservoirs and increasing much-needed snowpack. The snow’s been “very exciting,” Schwartz said, and he is “cautiously optimistic” that it will go far to alleviate reservoir concerns this year, at least in California. #CAwx #CAwater pic.twitter.com/AJjBLJWBLL — UC Berkeley Central Sierra …

Federal officials say urgent action needed to protect shrinking Colorado River reservoirs
2 years ago

Federal officials say urgent action needed to protect shrinking Colorado River reservoirs

LA Times  

A boat sits in a cove on Lake Powell, in Utah, in May. Speaking at the conference Friday, Touton said: “I can feel the anxiety, the uncertainty in this room, and in the basin, as we look at the river and the hydrology that we face.” Touton noted that an agreement a century ago, the 1922 Colorado River Compact, divided …

Growing fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water
2 years ago

Growing fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

LA Times  

The Colorado River’s largest reservoirs stand nearly three-quarters empty, and federal officials now say there is a real danger the reservoirs could drop so low that water would no longer flow past Hoover Dam in two years. Outlining their latest projections for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the nation’s two largest reservoirs, federal water managers said there is a risk …

Drying California lake to get $250M in US drought funding
2 years ago

Drying California lake to get $250M in US drought funding

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The federal government said Monday it will spend $250 million over four years on environmental cleanup and restoration work around a drying Southern California lake that’s fed by the depleted Colorado River. The lake is largely fed by runoff from farms in California’s Imperial Valley, who use Colorado River water to grow many of the nation’s winter …

Feds to Colorado River states: reduce water usage, or we will do it for you
2 years, 1 month ago

Feds to Colorado River states: reduce water usage, or we will do it for you

Salon  

This story is part of the Grist series Parched, an in-depth look at how climate change-fueled drought is reshaping communities, economies, and ecosystems. In theory, the federal government can unilaterally cut water deliveries from the Colorado River's two main reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which release more than 2 trillion gallons of water to farms and cities across the …

New US plan could lead to federal action on Colorado River
2 years, 1 month ago

New US plan could lead to federal action on Colorado River

Associated Press  

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Interior Department announced Friday that it will consider revising a set of guidelines for operating two major dams on the Colorado River in the first sign of what could lead to federal action to protect the once-massive but shrinking reservoirs behind them. “At the same time, we are committed to taking prompt and decisive action necessary …

Crisis looms without big cuts to over-tapped Colorado River
2 years, 4 months ago

Crisis looms without big cuts to over-tapped Colorado River

Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY — Hydroelectric turbines may stop turning. People have “been hoping to stave off this day,” said Felicia Marcus, a former top water official in California, which holds the largest right to the river’s water. Entsminger and his counterparts in Arizona, Utah and California, as well as local officials in and around Phoenix, also repeated what has become …

Drought in the US: Water Supply Cut for States Colorado, Arizona; Mexico’s Quota Reduced
2 years, 4 months ago

Drought in the US: Water Supply Cut for States Colorado, Arizona; Mexico’s Quota Reduced

News 18  

Water supplies to some US states and Mexico will be cut to avoid “catastrophic collapse” of the Colorado River, Washington officials said Tuesday, as a historic drought bites. More than two decades of well below average rainfall have left the river — the lifeblood of the western United States — at critical levels, as human-caused climate change worsens the natural …

US states hit by extreme drought face more water cuts
2 years, 4 months ago

US states hit by extreme drought face more water cuts

Al Jazeera  

Cuts affecting Arizona and Nevada come as water levels at the nation’s largest manmade reservoir, Lake Mead, are set to drop further. For the second year in a row, the US states of Arizona and Nevada will face cuts in the amount of water they can draw from the Colorado River as the Western United States endures an extreme drought, …

Deadline looms for western states to cut Colorado River use
2 years, 4 months ago

Deadline looms for western states to cut Colorado River use

Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY — Banks along parts of the Colorado River where water once streamed are now just caked mud and rock as climate change makes the Western U.S. hotter and drier. Last year, federal officials for the first time declared a water shortage, triggering cuts to Nevada, Arizona and Mexico’s share of the river to help prevent the two …

Severe drought at US’s largest reservoir revealed through the decades by Nasa satellite images
2 years, 5 months ago

Severe drought at US’s largest reservoir revealed through the decades by Nasa satellite images

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy New satellite images released by Nasa have shown water levels at historic lows in Lake …

As water crisis worsens on Colorado River, an urgent call for Western states to ‘act now’
2 years, 6 months ago

As water crisis worsens on Colorado River, an urgent call for Western states to ‘act now’

LA Times  

A person walks past a formerly sunken boat on a now-dry section of lakebed at Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir. She provided details about the federal government’s approach to the crisis two days after Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced that major cuts of between 2 million and 4 million acre-feet will be needed next year to keep reservoirs …

Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’
2 years, 6 months ago

Major water cutbacks loom as shrinking Colorado River nears ‘moment of reckoning’

LA Times  

Exposed banks of Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam show how low water levels have dropped on the Colorado River-fed reservoir due to persistent and worsening drought. As the West endures another year of unrelenting drought worsened by climate change, the Colorado River’s reservoirs have declined so low that major water cuts will be necessary next year to reduce risks of …

Tucson may forego some water to help keep Lake Mead level up
2 years, 7 months ago

Tucson may forego some water to help keep Lake Mead level up

Associated Press  

TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona’s second most populous city has signaled it may forego part of its allotment of Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project aqueduct in order to help forestall a shortage declaration for Lake Mead that would trigger mandatory reductions. The Tucson City Council included its potential willingness to take 20% less CAP water in voting …

Water shortages on Colorado River could eventually hit California, Arizona warns
2 years, 7 months ago

Water shortages on Colorado River could eventually hit California, Arizona warns

LA Times  

A rainbow hangs over Lake Powell on March 28 in Page, Ariz. Lake Powell has declined to just 24% of full capacity, the lowest point since it was filled in the 1960s following the construction of Glen Canyon Dam. Federal projections show Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, will keep on declining in the coming months, …

Drought expands in Southwest, worsening fire risk and water crisis
2 years, 7 months ago

Drought expands in Southwest, worsening fire risk and water crisis

CNN  

CNN — Drought conditions worsened in much of the Southwest over the past week, according to the latest update from the US Drought Monitor, deepening the region’s water crisis and fueling record-setting wildfires across multiple states. In California, which is entirely in drought conditions, two of the state’s largest reservoirs — Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville — are at “critically …

US to hold back Lake Powell water to protect hydropower
2 years, 7 months ago

US to hold back Lake Powell water to protect hydropower

Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. officials announced what they called extraordinary steps on Tuesday to keep hundreds of billions of gallons of water stored in a reservoir on the Utah-Arizona line to prevent it from shrinking more amid prolonged drought and climate change. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plans to hold back about 480,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell …

As drought crisis deepens, government will release less water from Colorado River reservoir
2 years, 7 months ago

As drought crisis deepens, government will release less water from Colorado River reservoir

LA Times  

A boat floats on Lake Powell, a vast reservoir of Colorado River water situated near the Utah-Arizona border. Representatives of the seven states responded in a letter on April 22, saying they agreed that “additional cooperative actions should be taken this spring to reduce the risk of Lake Powell declining below critical elevations.” The state officials said they support the …

Lake Powell officials take emergency steps to preserve hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam
2 years, 7 months ago

Lake Powell officials take emergency steps to preserve hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam

CNN  

CNN — The federal government announced Tuesday it is taking unprecedented, emergency steps to help boost water levels at Lake Powell. The agency said in a statement Tuesday’s decision was intended to protect “hydropower generation, the facility’s key infrastructure, and the water supply for the city of Page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.” The emergency actions …

In drought-stricken West, officials weigh emergency actions
2 years, 8 months ago

In drought-stricken West, officials weigh emergency actions

Associated Press  

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Federal officials say it may be necessary to reduce water deliveries to users on the Colorado River to prevent the shutdown of a huge dam that supplies hydropower to some 5 million customers across the U.S. West. The Interior Department has proposed holding back water in the lake to maintain Glen Canyon Dam’s ability to generate electricity …

Drought Is Threatening Hydropower in the Southwestern US
2 years, 8 months ago

Drought Is Threatening Hydropower in the Southwestern US

Wired  

News that Lake Powell, a reservoir on the border of Arizona and Utah, is slowly but surely drying up has spread far and wide. Behind the 1,320-megawatt Glen Canyon Dam and power station, Lake Powell plays an important role in providing power for some 3 million customers in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. According to Becki Bryant, the …

Lake Powell hits historic low, raising hydropower concerns
2 years, 9 months ago

Lake Powell hits historic low, raising hydropower concerns

Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY — A massive reservoir known as a boating mecca dipped below a critical threshold on Tuesday raising new concerns about a source of power that millions of people in the U.S. West rely on for electricity. Lake Powell’s fall to below 3,525 feet puts it at its lowest level since the lake filled after the federal government …

Scientists see silver lining in fed’s efforts at Lake Powell
2 years, 11 months ago

Scientists see silver lining in fed’s efforts at Lake Powell

Associated Press  

ST. GEORGE, Utah — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced last week that it plans to adjust management protocols for the Colorado River in early 2022 to reduce monthly releases from Lake Powell in an effort to keep the reservoir from dropping farther below 2021′s historic lows. That’s 27% of the reservoir’s capacity, 164 feet below full and just 11 …

Harris to discuss drought, climate change at Lake Mead
3 years, 2 months ago

Harris to discuss drought, climate change at Lake Mead

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday will highlight the problems caused by Western drought as she visits Lake Mead in Nevada and makes the case for the Biden administration’s infrastructure and climate change proposals that have stalled in Congress. Harris will be briefed by Bureau of Reclamation officials about elevation levels at the manmade reservoir that supplies drinking …

Lake Powell has a 1-in-3 risk of hydropower shutdown in 2023 due to ‘megadrought’
3 years, 3 months ago

Lake Powell has a 1-in-3 risk of hydropower shutdown in 2023 due to ‘megadrought’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Declining water levels at Lake Powell leaves a one-in-three chance that its dam will be …

US projections on drought-hit Colorado River grow more dire
3 years, 3 months ago

US projections on drought-hit Colorado River grow more dire

Associated Press  

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The U.S. government released projections Wednesday that indicate an even more troubling outlook for a river that serves 40 million people in the American West. By 2025, there’s a 66% chance Lake Mead, a barometer for how much river water some states get, will reach a level where California would be in its second phase of cuts. …

EXPLAINER: Western states face first federal water cuts
3 years, 4 months ago

EXPLAINER: Western states face first federal water cuts

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials on Monday declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought. !function{"use strict";window.addEventListener{iffor{var t=document.getElementById||document.querySelector;t&&}}))};</script><p class="social-caption"></p></div><p>Lake Powell's levels also are falling, threatening the roughly 5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity generated each year at the Glen Canyon Dam.</p><p>Colorado, …

US officials declare first-ever water shortage for Colorado River
3 years, 4 months ago

US officials declare first-ever water shortage for Colorado River

Al Jazeera  

Officials called on populations served by the river to reduce water usage starting next year. United States officials declared the first-ever water shortage for the Colorado River, an arterial waterway that serves 40 million people in the country’s west, and called on the population it serves to reduce their usage next year. However, the declaration from federal officials makes clear …

U.S. declares first-ever water shortage for Colorado river, triggering cuts in Western states
3 years, 4 months ago

U.S. declares first-ever water shortage for Colorado river, triggering cuts in Western states

LA Times  

A buoy sits above the waterline at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Aug. 13, 2021, near Boulder City, Nev. U.S. officials on Monday declared the first water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West, triggering cuts to some Arizona farmers next year amid a gripping drought. But water levels at Lake Mead and …

First water cuts in US West supply to hammer Arizona farmers
3 years, 4 months ago

First water cuts in US West supply to hammer Arizona farmers

Associated Press  

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — A harvester rumbles through the fields in the early morning light, mowing down rows of corn and chopping up ears, husks and stalks into mulch for feed at a local dairy. Standing next to a dry field, his boots kicking up dust, farmer Will Thelander said “more and more of the farm is going to look …

Recreation at risk as Lake Powell dips to historic low
3 years, 4 months ago

Recreation at risk as Lake Powell dips to historic low

Associated Press  

PAGE, Ariz. — A thick, white band of newly exposed rock face stretches high above boaters’ heads at Lake Powell, creating a sharp contrast against the famous red desert terrain as their vessels weave through tight canyons that were once underwater. Fluctuating water levels have long been a staple of Lake Powell, but National Park Service officials say the usual …

Lake Powell hits lowest water level on record
3 years, 4 months ago

Lake Powell hits lowest water level on record

CNN  

CNN — Plagued by climate change-fueled drought and increasing demand for water, Lake Powell, the second largest reservoir in the United States, has fallen to its lowest level on record since it was first filled more than 50 years ago. John Fleck, the director of the Water Resources Program at the University of New Mexico, told Lake Powell might not …

Amid drought, Colorado rafters flock to oases while they can
3 years, 5 months ago

Amid drought, Colorado rafters flock to oases while they can

Associated Press  

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Across Colorado, parched rivers are at some of their lowest levels on record. “It’s a little bittersweet,” said Savannah House, a Fort Collins resident who was recently rafting on the Poudre, noting the extreme conditions in other parts of the state. “We really are seeing the impact of the dry conditions last year impacting all of …

Across US West, drought arriving dangerously early | See photos
3 years, 6 months ago

Across US West, drought arriving dangerously early | See photos

India Today  

Even before summer's start, the US West is suffering the effects of chronic drought made worse by climate change. In this file photo taken on May 25, 2021, houseboats are moored on Lake Oroville reservoir during the California drought emergency in Oroville, California. An aerial image shows a dead tree previously covered by water and dry land are exposed on …

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