The Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Department of the Interior, has announced three options to protect the Colorado River by limiting releases from the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams.
Reservoirs like Lake Mead have continued to plummet from a years-long drought, with a lack of runoff, rain and snowmelt exacerbating the water level’s decline. The water drop affects both irrigation and the use of the dams for hydroelectric power.
These are the options being weighed by the Biden administration:
• Unilateral federal cutbacks to water releases from the dams for the 2023-2024 water year;
• Drafting a new consensus framework between Colorado River Basin states, NGOs, and tribes;
• Doing nothing.
“The Interior Department continues to pursue a collaborative and consensus-based approach to addressing the drought crisis afflicting the West. At the same time, we are committed to taking prompt and decisive action necessary to protect the Colorado River System,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said.
The announcement comes months after the feds set an August deadline for the seven states that use Colorado River water to come up with a plan to use substantially less water in 2023. A bargain between the states on new guidelines has not yet been reached.
Previous agreements for 2023 have Arizona, Nevada and Mexico reducing their use of Colorado River water for the second straight year.
The public will have until Dec. 20 to weigh in on Interior’s three options. The plans will be weighed and explored in an environmental impact statement.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.