Wednesday, April 12, 2023 | 2 a.m.
The federal government is weighing steps to address Colorado River water shortages, with one official bluntly stating that “failure is not an option.”
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental analysis Tuesday examining measures that may be required to protect operations at Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, as well as preserving “system integrity.”
It aims to ensure the bureau can protect water deliveries and hydropower production for millions of people, officials said.
The analysis examines competing plans for how several Western states and tribes reliant on the dwindling water supply from the river should cut their use.
On one side is California and some tribes along the river that want to protect their high-priority rights to the river’s water, which they use for drinking and farming. On the other side are the other six states in the Colorado River Basin — Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming— who say it’s time to come up with an approach that more fairly shares and protects the river.
“The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million Americans. It fuels hydropower resources in eight states, supports agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, and is a crucial resource for 30 tribal nations and 40 million residents in the West.
“Failure is not an option,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said in a statement.
The Biden administration is “bringing every tool and every resource to bear” to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System, Beaudreau said.
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Camlimlim Touton noted that the drought in the Colorado River Basin has been two decades in the making.
“To meet this moment, we must continue to work together, through a commitment to protecting the river, leading with science and a shared understanding that unprecedented conditions require new solutions,” she said in a statement.
Nevada has long worked on its own solution — from water conservation efforts, removing grass to turf, and investing $1.3 billion to build intake and low-level pumping stations to continue delivering water shoulda “dead pool” scenario arise in Lake Mead, one of two major reservoirs on the Colorado. Even though reservoirs are nearing dangerously low levels, Nevadans wouldn’t notice a difference if the river “dead-pooled” — meaning it would no longer flow past Hoover Dam.
“Nevada has taken significant action toward responsible use of water from the Colorado River, prioritizing conservation efforts and regularly conserving more than is required,” U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said in a statement. “As the (Biden) administration takes this step toward addressing water sustainability in the West, it is critical that any decision about water allotments acknowledge the reality that Nevada consistently does more than its fair share to support conservation.”
The analysis released Tuesday includes input from Basin states and water commissioners, 30 tribes, water managers, farmers, cities and others, Touton said.
It covers steps that could be taken in the face of “unprecedented hydrologic conditions, while providing equitable water allocations” to Lower Basin communities, officials said.
“Nevada has long been a leader in urban water efficiency, and our communities and citizens have a strong water conservation ethic,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement to the Sun. “This is an important step in a multiphased process to protect Lake Mead and put the Colorado River system on a more sustainable trajectory. I have directed our Colorado River representatives to remain actively engaged with state and federal partners and to make every effort to find consensus and agreement on a negotiated path forward. Each of the 40 million Americans that use the river deserve a reliable water supply, but it will take sacrifice from all of us to make that a reality.”
In January, six of the seven U.S. states that rely on the Colorado — Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — outlined how they would conserve significantly more water.
California, the largest user of the river’s water, disagreed with the approach and released its own ideas.
Both plans heeded a call last year from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the major dams in the river system, for states to propose how they would cut their water use by roughly 15% and 30% — in addition to existing water cuts agreed upon in recent years. Each achieves about 2 million acre-feet of cuts, which is closer to the 15% threshold.
An acre-foot of water is the volume of water one acre in area and one foot deep, and is roughly enough to serve two to three U.S. households annually.
The analysis released Tuesday explores both options, as well as a third option that includes taking no action. Beaudreau gave no indication of whether the department preferred a particular approach.
Cutting water use among all users could mean a reduction of 69,000 acre-feet from Nevada’s annual 300,000-acre foot allotment, said Bronson Mack, public information officer for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Mack said that would reduce the allotment to 231,000 acre-feet per year, slightly more than the 224,000 acre-feet of water Southern Nevadans used last year.
“Conservation is really the fulcrum on which we balance water supplies with water demand, and this is the exact reason,” Mack said. “Because climate change has demonstrated for us that there are going to be shortages on the river, that there are going to be reductions in allocation.”
He said over the past two decades, the SNWA has cut down on Colorado River water use by 30% while the population the water authority serves has increased by 750,000.
“Over the past two decades we’ve been preparing the community to live more efficiently on water than we have, and really adopted this strong conservation ethic,” Mack said.
Mack said it was too early to say if authority officials preferred one alternative over the other.
“As this is just a draft, I would recommend encouraging Nevada and the other states to work diligently to find common ground that works for all the states involved,” said U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D- Nev. “We must do what is necessary to protect the long-term survival of Lake Mead, and Nevadans have led the way in water conservation. We will continue to do just that and ensure everyone who depends on the Colorado River has access to a reliable water source.”
After a public input gathering period, the Bureau of Reclamation plans to adopt a final draft this summer for 2024, Touton said.
The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Reclamation, did not say how states should get to deeper water cuts but defended its authority to make sure basic needs such as drinking water and hydropower generated from the river are met — even if it means setting aside the priority system.
After the Department of Interior’s announcement, members of Nevada’s federal delegation reiterated their efforts to advocate with the administration for water rights.
“Nevada is leading the West in work to combat drought, and I’ve fought to deliver billions to make sure we continue to do all we can to keep water in Lake Mead,” said U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. “I’ll continue working with the Department of the Interior and my colleagues across the West to make sure Nevada is treated fairly and all states are doing their fair share to conserve water.”
Added U.S. Rep Susie Lee, D-Nev., “Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to finding a solution to our water crisis. I hope it will motivate all parties to redouble efforts to reach a joint solution over the next 45 days. We must keep working together to ensure all our communities maintain reliable water access for the long term.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
