LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nearly 75 organizations are asking the federal government for $2 billion now and more money in the future to “ensure water, food, and energy security” as the Colorado River shrinks following an extremely dry winter.
Notably, the lead water agencies in Nevada, Arizona and California did not sign the letter. The three Lower Colorado River Basin states were at the forefront of efforts to reach a consensus agreement on the river, but missed deadlines eventually led the federal government to step in.
“To immediately address the crisis facing the Colorado River Basin, we respectfully call on Congress to provide at least $2 billion in new federal funding for a near-term drought mitigation program,” the letter requests. It is signed by water agencies, power agencies, county governments, nonprofit groups, farmers’ groups and tribal organizations.
Last week, a look at the preliminary federal plan revealed that the Lower Basin states could face 40% cuts in their water allocations from the river. Those cuts were from a plan that hasn’t been approved yet, but it is currently viewed as the preferred plan by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation…