States at impasse as Colorado River water deadline arrives; pressure builds on California
The Colorado River is approaching a breaking point, its over-tapped reservoirs dropping. Years of drying have taken a toll at the river’s source in the Rockies.
“In the situation that we face today, of course, the river is overallocated,” Fisher said. “We must adjust demand to fit supply.”to drastically reduce water diversions by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet per year, a reduction of roughly 15% to 25%. But negotiations among the states grew tense and acrimonious and didn’t produce a deal.to revise the current rules for dealing with shortages and pursue a new agreement to achieve larger reductions in water use.
“The depletion of the Colorado River is a slow-moving natural disaster — one that threatens the livelihoods of 40 million people across seven basin states,” Stanton said. “While many of the states have worked together to reach an agreement that works for everyone, California refuses to do its part.” The proposal outlines reductions for Arizona, California and Nevada beyond those the three states have agreed to previously. It calls for accounting for more than 1.5 million acre-feet of water losses, primarily caused by evaporation, which would translate into the large reductions.
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, said the region needs to move on a “path forward to lay the groundwork for finding durable long-term solutions.”Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District, said California water managers have worked with their counterparts over the past two months to “produce a consensus-based alternative”
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