A new proposal for managing the Colorado River would see Arizona leaving some of its water in the river, but would help cities and towns in the Phoenix area avoid the “devastating” cutbacks that had been previously planned.
The plan, which was co-signed by Arizona, California and Nevada, is designed to prop up major reservoirs through 2028 while easing deep cuts to the Central Arizona Project. The CAP is a 336-mile canal system that carries Colorado River water to the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
The nation’s two largest reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead — have been on course for all-time lows after a 26-year megadrought was compounded by the most recent winter, which set records for dry conditions…