How it is distributed is guided by the 100-year-old Colorado River Compact, which has come under intense scrutiny in recent years as a two-decade-long drought has shrunk supply even as demand has risen. The US Bureau of Reclamation today announced the first-ever Level 2a shortage condition for Lake Mead, the massive reservoir that supplies water to about 25 million people. How big of a shortage are we going to have to endure? Imperial Valley farmers like Andrew Leimgruber, for their part, argue that they have a legal right to all of this water. For future negotiations, Colorados door remains open for all seven basin states to come together to forge a new path one which acknowledges the rivers limitations while recognizing that there are opportunities for every state to thrive, grow and provide for future generations. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. And now, Metropolitans Hasencamp said, its time to do so again. And without action, we cannot protect the system and the millions of Americans who rely on this critical resource, Touton said today. California with the largest allocation of water from the river is the lone holdout. His great-grandfather came to the valley from Sweden in the 1920s. What do we do when both systems are stressed out? Its a massive amount at least seven times more than Nevada is entitled to in a year. Another possibility is fallowing fields paying farmers to leave fields dry. The Colorado River supplies urban areas through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the region's water wholesaler. It lies below sea level, allowing water from the Colorado River to flow there by gravity alone. Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water Sprinklers deliver vital Colorado River water to a field of celery in California's Imperial Valley. The deal,. According to Porter, some legal experts believe that the federal Bureau of Reclamation has the authority simply to order a reduction in water deliveries from reservoirs like Lake Mead to agricultural irrigation districts. Andrew Leimgruber grows alfalfa and vegetables on his family's farm in the Imperial Valley. Water managers in the Lower Basin say the scale of conservation Reclamation is seeking cannot be met without California, tribes and farmers who draw directly from the Colorado River. Those farming operations use far more water than any solar development, and as California looks to use both less groundwater and Colorado River water, replacing those fields with solar is being . State says it will release own plan as six others to dramatically cut water use from river stressed by drought and overuse. Irrigation canals that are currently simple ditches in the dirt could be lined with concrete, to prevent water from seeping into the ground. It would never reach the canal that supplies Imperial Valley. I think were going to be in a permanent state of shortage into the future. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Why It Matters, Don't Worry If You Missed The Northern Lights, They Could Be Back Soon, What We Know About The Odd Blue Creatures Washing Ashore On SoCal Beaches, Everything Is Blooming In The SoCal Desert. Terms & Conditions. Reclamation will consider the six states agreement as part of a larger proposal to revise how it operates Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams behemoth power producers on the Colorado River. Eventually California water systems hashed out a deal. To stabilize the river, the three states that make up the Lower Basin California, Arizona and Nevada have agreed to voluntarily conserve 3 million acre-feet of water over the next three . Video Concerns over Colorado decision to keep all its river water The Colorado River provides water for seven states Colorado is moving to keep tighter control over its own water. Climate & Environment A long-simmering water battle comes to a boil in Southern California The All-American Canal winds through the Algodones Dunes in Imperial County, bringing water from the. The areas that get water from the Colorado River are also going to have to conserve more, Hasencamp said. Our region, our economy, our way of life in Southern California depends on the Colorado River, said Bill Hasencamp, Colorado River resources manager for the giant Metropolitan Water District, which supplies imported water to 19 million people. Colorado River water battle comes to a boil in California - Los Angeles But a deal remains out of reach. The water supplies for the future are going to be less and more unpredictable than they were in the past. It is one of the primary sources of drinking water for Southern California. Dan Charles for NPR AP This aerial photo shows rows of almond trees sitting on the ground during an orchard removal project in Snelling, California, in May 2021. 4. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. Rachel has a background in biology, with master's degrees in both immunology and The state also outlined a tiered plan that would require additional cuts for California, Nevada and Arizona if reservoirs drop to certain levels. Seven Southern California counties rely on the river for water and hydroelectric power, and 600,000 acres of farmland draw on it for irrigation. Geography was the key. Heres How To Start Your Search, Emmery Muoz, 14, Was Killed In LA 17 Years Ago. Were going to have to, because we know were going to get less water in the future than were getting today. Its enough water to supply more than 13 million Southern California households for a year. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. Six Western states that rely on water from the Colorado River have agreed on a model to dramatically cut their use, months after the federal government called for action and an initial deadline passed. New Colorado river water sharing deal : NPR In the Lower Basin, Arizona comes in next with about 2.8 million acre feet. Steve Benson returned to the family business, Benson Farms in Brawley, Calif., after a career in engineering and real estate. A field of alfalfa, freshly cut, dries in the sun. It's glorious grunion run season, which means thousands of small, silver fish take to California beaches to mate. California was the only state to oppose that plan, issuing a competing proposal the next day, restating a commitment to cut its usage by just 400,000 acre-feet. Metropolitan is also facing an urgent need to conserve. This conservation deal first announced by the White House comes as California for months had refused to agree to a brokered deal with the other states, as large users in the state tend to hold senior water rights on the river. It also seeks to fix water accounting and ensure that any water the Lower Basin states intentionally stored in Lake Mead is available for future use. Last summer, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation called the first level-one shortage for the Lower Basin states, prompting cuts to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico but not California. Farmhand Adrian Gonzalez irrigates a field of newly planted alfalfa on December 29, 2022 in Calipatria, California. Steve Benson returned to the family business, Benson Farms in Brawley, Calif., after a career in engineering and real estate. Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? Another major recipient is the Metropolitan Water District, which last year diverted roughly 1.1 million acre feet of water from the Colorado River system. As of today, no agreement had been struck. Dan Charles for NPR California remains focused on practical solutions that can be implemented now to protect volumes of water in storage without driving conflict and litigation, he said in a statement Monday. Beef cattle are the top agricultural product of Imperial County. A Clash Between Religious Faith and Gay Rights - The New York Times How much less we dont know.. In the Lower Basin, Arizona comes in next with about 2.8 million acre feet. Arizona and Nevada will face steeper cuts to Colorado River water in 2023 as drought continues to deepen, but California will once again be spared at least for now. Theres a lot of steps, commitments that need to be made at the federal, state and local levels, said Entsminger of Nevada. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, is projected to drop to less than 1,040 feet by the close of 2022. "The reality is, we'll probably be taking more of our summers off. These states allotments are broken down by percentage of the available supply: Colorado has 51.75%, New Mexico 11.25%, Utah 23% and Wyoming 14%. While Southern California stands to see the greatest impact, Lien-Mager said the diminishing river system is emblematic of the bigger threat of climate change, which impacts all Californians. Preventing future water crises will take massive efforts at every level, she said, from city ordinances on water use to major state-funded infrastructure projects, including desalination plants and stormwater systems to capture rain more efficiently during big storms. One draft plan that's circulating among irrigation districts proposes annual payments of $1,500 per acre almost $1.4 billion in total in exchange for cutting water use by roughly 20 percent on almost a million acres of farmland. Similar deals have been struck in the past, although none involved so much money. Why the Big Drop in California's Colorado River Water Use? Legislators threatened to reject Newsoms infrastructure package if he wont remove the Delta water tunnel. Why keeping the Colorado River healthy is a constant struggle But the problem is that on paper is not the reality now.. Half of those acres lie within the Imperial Irrigation District. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), A thick white ring shows the dramatic decline of water levels at Lake Mead on the Colorado River on April 16, 2022. Mexico and California are factored into the equations, but neither signed on to Mondays letter. Lurking in those details, though, is a bigger and more worrisome question. It's now more salty than the ocean, heavily contaminated with agricultural runoff, and shrinking. The Hutchinson News. Federal officials estimate more than 10% of the rivers flow evaporates, leaks or spills, yet Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexicohave never accounted forthat water loss. In Californias proposal to cut 400,000 acre-feet of water, about 250,000 acre-feet of that would likely come from the irrigation districts allotment, according to district spokesperson Robert Schettler. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. "We have the laws in place, you know, when water comes anywhere west of the Mississippi, it's first-come, first-served, and that's how it's always been," he says. Our region, our economy, our way of life in Southern California depends on the Colorado River, said Bill Hasencamp, Colorado River resources manager for the giant Metropolitan Water District, which supplies imported water to 19 million people. Also unclear is how much Mexico eventually will contribute to the savings. To date, the states collectively have not identified and adopted specific actions of sufficient magnitude that would stabilize the system, Touton said. I dont view not having unanimity at one step in that process to be a failure, he said late on Monday. The agreement, dubbed the 500+ Plan, goes . 1:04. The cuts in the deal are entirely voluntary. Hamby says the district is looking to make a deal. I think all seven states are still committed to working together.. We have done so in California and looking to solve a larger Colorado River drought by pointing at those with senior water rights isnt fair.. Josh Smith - AZ Photographer on Instagram: "The Navajo Nation is in 7. Experts expect further and much deeper cuts than announced Monday will be necessary after 2026. Federal water officials must now analyze the two proposals and make a final determination to allocate water to each state. The biggest straw, by far, is Californias. Who gets a say in the Colorado River's water supply. On Friday, June 9, Dr. Dustin Harker, a physician in . The six states argued that Lower Basin states should share those losses essentially subtracting those amounts from their allocations once the elevation at Lake Mead sinks below 1,145 feet (349 meters). Today, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. Another possibility is fallowing fields paying farmers to leave fields dry. But she said any multi-state agreement must be legally defensible. The modeling would result in about 2m acre-feet of cuts in the Lower Basin, with smaller reductions in the Upper Basin. "You have a lot of leverage if you have a lot of water.". Hosted by Katrin Bennhold. The district warned customers that receive Colorado River water that they could face restrictions as soon as next year. The verdict is especially high-stakes for Southern California, where the river provides a quarter or a third of the regions water supply. The other half is mile after mile of green fields lined by irrigation canals. In mid-June, Bureau Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton gave the states a 60-day deadline to craft a deal, or face federally-mandated cuts instead. A young black bear, dubbed BB-12, was captured and collared last month in the western portion of the Santa Monica Mountains. And how do we manage ourselves? Harris asked at a state water board meeting in June. And thats it, said Robert Schettler, a spokesperson for the Imperial Irrigation District.
