Colorado River Water Use to Be Slashed Across Three States

Three Western states have agreed to slash their Colorado River water usage to combat a shortage in the southwest.

Arizona, California and Nevada have all pledged to cut 3 million acre-feet from their annual water usage by 2026, a statement from the U.S. Department of the Interior said. In return, they will receive federal compensation.

These three states are at the heart of the ongoing Colorado River water crisis. The savings will occur over the next four years.

The other basin states—Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—haven't yet clarified whether they will also be part of the agreement.

The Colorado River provides water for 40 million people in the southwest, but the vital water source has been in trouble for years due to a drought, which experts believe is being caused by climate change.

Of particular concern is Lake Mead—the largest man-made reservoir in the U.S., which provides water to 25 million people in the southwest. Its water levels are inching dangerously close to deadpool level, where no water flows out of the lake at all.

Over the past 100 years, the river's flow has dropped by 20 percent, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

"There are 40 million people, seven states, and 30 Tribal Nations who rely on the Colorado River Basin for basic services such as drinking water and electricity. Today's announcement is a testament to the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to working with states, Tribes and communities throughout the West to find consensus solutions in the face of climate change and sustained drought," Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in the press release.

Experts have long feared what it could mean for life in the southwest if the situation were to deteriorate further.

Officials have been looking at drastic measures to conserve water, but it is taking some time to come up with a plan that all the Colorado River basin states can agree on.

In April, the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation presented a plan to prevent the complete collapse of the Colorado River, putting forward three separate scenarios. That plan has now been withdrawn, and this agreement could take its place.

The first option in the plan was based on the priority of water rights. Under this proposal, water conservation cuts would have been based around those who rely on the water most.

Farmers and Native American tribes would have held a higher priority claim on the water, meaning cities in the region would have faced cuts.

The second option was based on a "same percentage" approach. This proposal would have seen water cuts being spread equally.

The third option was to simply do nothing. However, this was not thought to be viable.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Colorado River? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.