Some states will restrict water consumption: this is the first such federal ban in history

On August 23, US officials announced the first-ever shortage of water from a river serving 40 million people in the Western United States. Due to a severe drought, water consumption will be reduced starting from 2022. The edition told in more detail AP News.

Photo: Shutterstock

Water levels in the Colorado River's largest reservoir, Lake Mead, have dropped to record lows. Along its perimeter, a white ring of minerals outlines the place where water once was. It underscores pressing water problems for a region facing a growing population and drought that is worsened by hotter, drier weather caused by climate change.

States, cities, farmers and others have diversified their water sources in recent years, helping to cushion the blow of the upcoming cuts. But federal officials said conditions escalated faster than scientists predicted in 2019, when some states in the Colorado River Basin agreed to give up water shares to maintain Lake Mead levels.

“Today’s announcement is an acknowledgment that a situation that was predicted years ago — but we hoped we would never see — is here,” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Toutone said.

Lake Mead was formed by the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. It is one of several artificial reservoirs that accumulate water from the Colorado River, which provides domestic water, irrigation for farms, and hydropower in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and parts of Mexico.

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Water levels in Lakes Mead and Powell, the river's two largest reservoirs, have been falling for many years and faster than experts predicted. Higher temperatures and less melted snow in the spring have reduced the amount of water flowing from the Rocky Mountains, where the river originates.

How river water is cut

The water stored in Lakes Mead and Powell is shared between the seven states of the Colorado River Basin, the federal government, Mexico, and others. Legal agreements dictate how much water everyone gets, when the cuts begin, and the order in which parties must donate part of their water supply.

As part of the 2019 Drought Action Plan, Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico agreed to give up shares of their water to maintain Lake Mead water levels. Voluntary measures were not enough to prevent shortages.

Who does the lake serve

Lake Mead supplies water to millions of people in Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico.

The 2022 cuts are triggered when forecast water levels fall below a certain threshold — 1075 feet (328 meters) above sea level, or 40% of capacity. Hydrologists predict the reservoir will drop to 1066 feet (325 meters) by January.

Further rounds of contraction begin when projected levels drop to 1050, 1045, and 1025 feet (320, 318, and 312 meters).

Ultimately, some urban and industrial water users may be affected.

Lake Powell levels are also dropping, threatening the roughly 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated each year at the Glen Canyon Dam.

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Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming receive water from tributaries and other bodies of water that flow into Lake Powell. Water from three reservoirs in these states was drained to maintain the water level in Lake Powell and to protect the electrical grid powered by the Glen Canyon Dam.

Which states will be affected

In the US, Arizona will be the hardest hit: next year the river will lose 18% of its share, or 512 acre-feet of water. This is about 000% of the state's total water use.

An acre-foot is enough to supply one or two households a year.

Nevada will lose about 7% of its reserves, or 21 acre-feet of water. But it will not feel a deficit mainly due to conservation efforts.

California is spared immediate cuts because it has more important water rights than Arizona and Nevada.

In Mexico, a reduction of about 5%, or 80 acre-feet, is expected.

Who will be primarily affected by the cut

The brunt of the cuts will be borne by farmers in central Arizona, which are some of the state's largest producers of livestock, dairy, alfalfa, wheat and barley.

As a result, farmers may have to fallow land - as many have already done in recent years due to ongoing drought - and rely even more heavily on groundwater, switch to water-saving crops and find other ways to use less water.

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Water suppliers have planned to announce water shortages by diversifying and saving water supplies, for example by storing water in underground pools. However, the reduction in water cut makes planning for the future difficult.

The Central Arizona Project, which supplies water to major Arizona cities, will not replenish some groundwater systems next year.

“This is a historic moment where drought and climate change are upon us,” said Chuck Cullom of the Central Arizona Project.

Cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson, as well as Indian tribes are protected from the first round of blackouts.

Is it possible to change the situation

The reservoir's water level has been falling since 1999 due to drought sweeping the West and an increase in water demand. Experts say that due to worsening weather conditions, the reservoir may never be full again.

While Lakes Mead and Powell could theoretically be refilled, planning a hotter, drier future with less river water would be wiser, said Arizona State University's Porter.

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