Tag Archive for: Water Cutbacks

Once-Exposed Boats in Lake Mead Covered by Water Again, but Progress is Minimal Amid Record Drought

/in , , /by /Fox 5 Vegas by Jaclyn Schultz

Boats at the bottom of Lake Mead that were exposed by dwindling lake levels are finally underwater again, but the recovery is relatively small compared to the severity of the drought.

In the summer of 2022, folks flocked to a upright boat in Lake Mead. YouTubers “Sin City Outdoors” documented the dramatic fall of lake levels as it dwindled to a historic 1,040 feet. FOX5 covered their efforts to document the numerous boats that emerged from the deep, including a historic WWII vessel.

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Sen. Roberts, State Officials Debate Likelihood of Colorado River Cuts

/in , , /by /Aspen Daily Newsby Austin Corona

Speakers at the 2023 Colorado Water Congress annual conference in Steamboat Springs last week showed conflicting views on the possibility of Colorado River water cuts within the state. Colorado’s official and alternate representatives in negotiations over the river said Thursday that neither the federal government nor the terms of the Colorado River Compact can force water cuts in the state any time soon.

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Amid Cutbacks, Heat and Drought, Arizona Farmers Get Help From University of Arizona

/in , , /by /KJZZby Phil Latzman

With three-quarters of Arizona’s fresh water supply going to farmlands, the recent reductions imposed on Colorado River supply are having a huge impact on agriculture in the state. “It’s all about stretching that water dollar or that gallon of water a little bit further.” Paul “Paco” Ollerton is a third-generation farmer in Casa Grande, who says he’d already been squeezing every last drop for his fields.

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Colorado River Basin States Reach Historic Deal on Water Cutbacks to Stave Off Crisis

/in , , /by /Desert Sunby Janet Wilson

A deal has been reached to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water in the Colorado River through 2026, the Department of the Interior announced on Monday. More than half of that would be saved by the end of 2024.

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California Debates What to Do With Water From Recent Storms

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

Weeks after powerful storms dumped 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow on California, state officials and environmental groups in the drought-ravaged state are grappling with what to do with all of that water.

State rules say when it rains and snows a lot in California, much of that water must stay in the rivers to act as a conveyer belt to carry tens of thousands of endangered baby salmon into the Pacific Ocean.

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California Finds Itself Isolated, Alone in Battle Over Colorado River Water Cuts

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

After a key deadline passed this week without an agreement on how to address the Colorado River’s crisis, California is now sharply at odds with six other states over how to take less water from the shrinking river.

Now that California has rejected a plan offered by the rest of the region, the state has entered a political tug-of-war with high stakes. So why has the state that uses the most Colorado River water decided to go it alone?

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River District Head: California Water Cut Far From What is Needed From That State

/in , , /by /The Daily Sentinel by Dennis Webb

The general manager of the West Slope’s Colorado River District says proposed cuts by California entities in river water use are much less than is needed from that state, and their implication that other states need to step up with similar reductions fails to account for uncompensated, naturally occurring cuts that already impact users in the river’s Upper Basin.

Andy Mueller made his comments in a memo to his district’s board of directors and during the board’s meeting this week.

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Newsom’s “Water Supply Strategy” Geared to Combat Drought, Climate Change

/in , , /by /Voice and Viewpointby McKenzie Johnson Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

The Golden State is doing more than just praying for rain amidst the historic drought that is battering the state and the western United States.

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a plan that would increase California’s water supply and combat the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. The initiative, its scope captured in the 19-page “California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” document released by Newsom’s administration, will invest $8 billion in water recycling, storage, and desalination.

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Arizona Loses More of its Colorado River Water Allocation Under New Drought Plan

/in , /by /Arizona Republicby Debra Utacia Krol

The federal government will impose deeper cuts on the drought-stricken Colorado River, officials said on Tuesday, reducing water deliveries to Arizona by one-fifth starting in January.

The Bureau of Reclamation announced what it called “urgent action” as water levels in the river’s two largest reservoirs continue to drop. Under the steps outlined Tuesday, Arizona will lose 592,000 acre-feet of its river allocation in 2023, which represents 21% of its usual delivery. That’s an increase of 80,000 acre-feet from the 2022 cuts.

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California Agriculture Takes $1.2-Billion Hit During Drought, Losing 8,700 Farm Jobs, Researchers Find

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Severe drought last year caused the California agriculture industry to shrink by an estimated 8,745 jobs and shoulder $1.2 billion in direct costs as water cutbacks forced growers to fallow farmland and pump more groundwater from wells, according to new research.

In a report prepared for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, researchers calculated that reduced water deliveries resulted in 395,000 acres of cropland left dry and unplanted — an area larger than Los Angeles. In estimating the costs, they factored in losses in crop revenue and higher costs for pumping more groundwater.

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