Feds call for water cutbacks ‘to avoid a catastrophic collapse’ of Colorado River

A bathtub ring watermark at Hoover Dam/Lake Mead, the country’s largest man-made water reservoir, formed by the dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States, has dropped 2 inches every day since February (26 feet in one year), is viewed on July 12, 2022 near Boulder City, Nevada. The lake, a national recreation area, located within the states of Nevada and Arizona 24 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, serves water to the states of Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as parts of Mexico, providing fresh water to nearly 20 million people and large swaths of farmland. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will have to reduce their water consumption for the second year in a row.

Tommy Beaudreau, deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, said in a statement that the Colorado River Basin is being impacted by the effects of Climate Change.

The Colorado River goes through the western states and into Mexico.

The artificial lake was formed by the completion of the Hoover dam. Lake Powell was created by the Glen Canyon dam.

The Lake Mead 2021 watermark, the country’s largest man-made water reservoir, formed by Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States, which has dropped 2 inches every day since February (26 feet in one year), is viewed as the lake is at approximately 25% capacity is viewed on July 12, 2022 near Boulder City, Nevada. The lake, a national recreation area, located within the states of Nevada and Arizona 24 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, serves water to the states of Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as parts of Mexico, providing fresh water to nearly 20 million people and large swaths of farmland. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

The Colorado River basin has been in a dry spell for more than two decades. The Department of the Interior said that water will be reduced from the two dams. The Department of the Interior said that the second year in a row of water shortages is a sign of the severity of the dry spell.

Every state has a responsibility to ensure that water is used with the least amount of waste. To avoid a collapse of the Colorado River System and a future of uncertainty and conflict, water use in the Basin must be reduced.

In January, Arizona will have to reduce its water usage by 592,000 acres-feet, which is 21% of the state's water use. 8% of the state's water use will have to be reduced by 25,000 acre- feet. Mexico's annual appointment will have to be reduced.

The Hoover Dam water intake towers at Lake Mead, the country’s largest man-made water reservoir, formed by the dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States, has dropped 2 inches every day since February (26 feet in one year), are viewed at approximately 25% capacity on July 12, 2022 near Boulder City, Nevada. The lake, a national recreation area, located within the states of Nevada and Arizona 24 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, serves water to the states of Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as parts of Mexico, providing fresh water to nearly 20 million people and large swaths of farmland. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)

The lack of a long-term collective plan for the states that depend on the Colorado River for water made the Arizona state representatives frustrated.

The director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the general manager of the Central Arizona Project said that it was unacceptable for Arizona to carry a disproportionate burden of reductions.

The Basin States have not yet come up with a viable plan and the United States has not proposed one. All water users in the Colorado River Basin will have to contribute to achieving volumes at this magnitude.