We have a good story to tell about the Colorado River (I know. Since when have I typed those words?)
Consider where we are:
Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the nation’s two largest water reservoirs — remain relatively stable, despite only average runoff this year.
That’s largely because Arizona, California and Nevada — the Lower Basin states that rely on Lake Mead — have put their water use on a heavy diet, consuming 5.8 million acre-feet of water in 2023.
That’s the lowest in 40 years and well below the 7.5 million acre-feet of water to which they are entitled.
(For context, 7.5 million acre-feet is enough to put the city of Phoenix under more than 22 feet of water. It’s a lot .)
Lake Mead is stable, which helps Lake Powell
Meanwhile, the three states are well on their way to leaving an additional 3 million acre-feet feet of water in Lake Mead by 2026, a commitment they made to the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the lakes.
California’s Imperial Irrigation District, which is entitled to more Colorado River water than all of Arizona, inked the latest and largest deal, agreeing to leave 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026.