The US Bureau of Reclamation announced a $250 million water-saving initiative that is intended to
preserve up to 10 feet of Lake Mead’s declining surface levels this year. This initiative is part of a $4
billion drought-relief fund passed by the federal government last year. This money will pay the lower
Colorado River basin users, especially farmers, to reduce or even eliminate their water usage to keep the
reservoir from sinking to a level where it no longer flows through Hoover Dam and therefore cannot
generate electricity.
This may help alleviate the immediate concern on the river, especially in a year when higher than expected snowmelt is expected. But it does not come close to the 2 to 4 million acre-feet that
Reclamation says the region must save every year in the future to prevent disaster.The seven states that share the water from the Colorado River provided plans for how to reduce water usage earlier this year. The federal government is expected to announce its own suggested alternatives this spring. This water-saving initiative from Reclamation is a short-term fix to stop the reservoir’s immediate decline. Much more is needed in the future.
Photo Credit: Juliet Studness
Cited Sources
“Drought-Ravaged Colorado River Gets Relief from Snow. but Long-Term Water Crisis Remains.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2023, www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-04-08/colorado-river-snowpack-california.