Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Improve federal coordination on Colorado River management. Its hard to find a major city in the West that has not gone to enormous lengths to invest in the necessary conservation programs and infrastructure to provide alternative water supplies in order to buffer their risk against change, Fleck told me last fall. Ive been reporting on the Colorado River for years, Ian told me this week, but Im always learning more.. Despite our very senior water rights, the Imperial Valley is expecting to conserve an additional 250,000 acre-feet of water per year on top of the 500,000 acre-feet of annual conservation already underway. Opinion: How will we conserve water from the Colorado River? The Colorado River is in peril. Can we save it? - Los Angeles Times The river is indeed in need. Its hard to imagine a scenario where the rivers most senior users arent pushed to cut back. So Reclamation announced last summer that basin states would have to trim at least another 2 million acre-feet from their water budgets. Colorado River states, Biden make deal to protect drought-stricken In a third effort, I invited 26 Colorado River managers and experts to allocate water for all regions of the Basin, including First Nations and the Colorado River delta. The government has never called for a cutback this large, she said, nor has it proposed a plan of action that undermines existing laws that govern the river and protect its most senior users. What will it Meanwhile, farms in California, which tend to have more senior rights, have mostly been spared. In the end, the reality is the same no matter how the government responds: Theres simply less water in the Colorado River. Use native and drought-tolerant plants to landscape your home and water them in the early morning or evening to reduce evaporation. The key solution is to reverse the underlying issue, Ian said: Use less water throughout the region [and] bring demand in line with the supply the river can provide.. The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates. These proposals are just that proposals. Cut water by priority, which means junior water users suffer the deepest reductions. Californias experience tells us we can transition to a sustainable future on the Colorado River, which will benefit the entire country. But many water managers there aren't that worried due to a long in the works conservation strategy. Anna V. Smith, Mark Olalde and Umar Farooq. Ryan Fonseca writes the Los Angeles Times Essential California newsletter. Here's what to know. Within California, water to 20 million residents in cities will be completely shut off before farming districts adjacent to and within the Imperial Valley take any cuts. The federal government should support efforts by states in the lower Colorado basin (Arizona, Nevada and California) to complete a drought contingency plan to lessen the impact of over-consumption through management of water demand. The demonstrations were sparked by a teen girl telling city leaders she felt unsafe sharing a YMCA locker room with a transgender woman. The implications of not addressing this issue could affect the economy of the entire state of California. David Hayes, environmental law expert, to CNN, No plan will work if climate change is allowed to keep getting worse, As long as the world keeps warming, there will be less and less water in the Colorado River and across the region for people to use. Cities will also have to become more water-efficient, experts say, and may have to make unpopular choices like limiting water usage for nonessential things such as grass yards and swimming pools. While the Upper Basin states draw their water directly from the river and its tributaries, the Lower Basin states depend on Lake Mead, the reservoir created by the Hoover Dam and whose spigot is controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Spenser Heaps, Deseret News. Colorado River water restrictions: Interiors plans to save Restoring the Colorado River Delta | The Nature Conservancy This would extend and expand an agreement, due to expire in December 2017, that includes joint investments in conservation projects, short-term water exchanges and sharing of water shortages and surpluses. Experimentation and adaptation can help us navigate these changes. Lake Mead, which sends water downriver to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California, is less than a third full. The Yampa is the last relatively free-flowing major river in the Colorado River Basin. But as Porter points out, cities and Tribes in central Arizona would benefit because they would take smaller cuts.. Mobile Terms & Conditions Partner Content for Finish dish detergent. But every day without an agreement is another in which too much water is drained. Editorial, Washington Post, Curb the sprawl. The discussions evoked constructive feedback plus lots of talk about equity, sustainability, hydropower generation, water prices, protecting endangered native fish and other issues. FILE - Water from the Colorado River diverted through the Central Arizona Project fills an irrigation canal on Aug. 18, 2022, in Maricopa, Ariz. The state was 100 percent drought free for the first time in 19 years. Colorado River water restrictions: Interiors plans to save Low water levels in Green Mountain Reservoir in Heeney north of Silverthorn, CO. The Biden administration announced an emergency plan to save lakes Mead and Powell from drying. Daniel Trotta is a U.S. National Affairs correspondent, covering water/fire/drought, race, guns, LGBTQ+ issues and breaking news in America. Now the seven states must go back to work on longer-term deal starting in 2027, most likely for 20 years, that must be reached without being able to count on rainy years or a flood of federal dollars, and with effects of climate change looming. Suddenly curtailing water supplies not only risks the loss of an entire seasons income, it causes farmers to lose the upfront money they invested. Encourage friends and family to take action! Heres what these proposals mean for states in the river basin and why theyre so historic. To close the deficit, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the states have been struggling to apportion the drastic cuts necessary. Next, they decided how much of their collective remaining account balances to leave in Lake Powell and Lake Mead before moving to the next year. Rather, the proposals are meant to guide and accelerate negotiations before summer. Tuesdays announcement shows that the US government is willing to flex its authority if need be to protect the river. The editorial staff of National Geographic was not involved in the preparation or production of this content. We can save the Colorado River - High Country News Lee-Martinez: This is certainly a pattern that has repeated itself in the Colorado River basin. Two factors have conspired to turn this once mighty river into a trickle: climate change and overuse by the very states that rely on its waters. NBC Bay Area, Investigators have so far not been able to make any connections between the Monterey Park shooter and the victims at the dance studio he targeted on the eve of Lunar New Year. Take action to save the Colorado River Colorado River Update: BOONDOGGLE ON THE COLORADO RIVER? Other agricultural and municipal Southern California water districts have also done their part, further reducing dependence on the Colorado River. I invite you to virtually manage a Colorado River basin account. And in the Upper Basin, the states of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are faced with draconian reductions in their entitlements because they must deliver water to the Lower Basin states. Over 40 million people in the U.S. and Mexico rely on this great American river for water, but by 2022 theres a 68 percent chance Lake Mead, one of the rivers largest reservoirs, will experience a serious shortfall. Opinion: With Colorado River negotiations settled, its time to focus on water conservation plans. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Conservation measures that keep more water stored in Lake Mead have reduced flows downstream through habitats for endangered fish, birds and snakes, Second, were not in the subscriptions business. But the days of this mighty waterway may be numbered, along with the free-flowing access to freshwater from the faucet for one in ten Americans that it affords. 5 Ways to Help Preserve the Colorado River Now - Walton Dead fish that someone propped between the cracks of The Colorado River is being sucked dry by cities and farms and is also suffering the effects of climate change. 1. Yet they continue to consume far more water than the river can supply. These days, waking up to current events can be, well, daunting. Hard work among our three states has produced a compromise that will allow us to pivot towards developing operating guidelines for the river beyond 2026. Under this complex system, more water is annually allocated to the seven Colorado River states and Mexico than the basin can provide, especially in dry years, creating a water deficit that threatens supply to roughly 36 million people and 6 million acres of land. Whos really using up the water in the American West? The federal government has said it may be forced to step in to impose its plan for the states if no agreement is reached a step that would likely lead to a lengthy legal battle. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. Without a deal, the federal government might have been forced to impose cuts, likely provoking a flurry of lawsuits. Unauthorized use is prohibited. For example, in Arizona the six million residents of Phoenix and Tucson will lose50%of their share before California gives up a single drop. A new Irrigation Reserve on a basin scale will also require significant public funding. San Diego Union-Tribune, California Rep. Adam Schiff has announced he will run for a U.S. Senate seat in 2024. Decades later, the tribe still struggles to get its share of the river, Supreme Court keeps the Navajo Nation waiting for water, The long road to access at Willamette Falls, When the woods get noisy, the animals getnervous, James Watt, Ted Kaczynski and power over lands. Charting a Future for the Colorado River - The Nature Conservancy Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. This week in Las Vegas, just 25 miles from Lake Mead, the Colorado River Water Users Association is meeting to try and make tangible progress on ways to address the most urgent problems. And with climate change continuing to dry out the basin, these problems may only get worse. But they are certainly unprecedented, according to Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. of your water comes from San Diego Union-Tribune, The parade of winter storms that soaked California boosted the states water supply. A voluntary agreement, on the other hand, would guarantee buy-in from locals and be more likely to reflect their needs and expertise. we save the Colorado River June 12, 2023 Gary Wockner River News Hi We pledge to the residents of San Diego and the chosen developer that we will continue to be your dedicated partner in upgrading and improving upon the current Civic Theatre. 1:27 p.m. Jan. 29, 2023: A previous version of this newsletter said a group of people attended a city council meeting in San Diego to call on city leaders to publicly defend transgender residents. But this lifeline of the West is now straining under the burden of climate change: for nearly two decades the Colorado Basin has been in drought with decreasing precipitation and rising temperatures. Lake Mead is a stark symbol of the growing threat facing the entire Colorado River basin, laid low by the worst drought in the West in more than a century. But it didnt lastby August 2019 drought had returned. Agriculture uses the vast majority of water in the Colorado River Basin, which means agriculture must be part of the solution. David Rosenberg is a professor at Utah State University. A final decision from the federal government is expected to come this summer. And there never will be again, United Methodist congregations trying to leave amid LGBTQ+ schism say theyre being held for ransom, L.A. mayor ousts Native American DWP commissioner; Indigenous groups outraged, Column: How Mississippi gamed its national reading test scores to produce miracle gains, After lawsuit, Jon & Vinnys adds explainer on customer checks about 18% service fee. Those three lines are the Minimum, Maximum, and Most probable storage scenarios for Lake Powell based on different inflow and other inputs (Maximum being the top, a blue line which reflects where 90% of the scenarios will land at or below in storage elevation, meaning the maximum probable amount of water to be stored at Lake Powell What can we do to save Colorado River, Lake Powell, Lake Mead | Click here to subscribe. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Because of this shocking discovery, this article will discuss the length of the river, the threats to the river, why the river is so important, and what we can do to save our dear Colorado River. The Department of Interior is reportedly considering a variety of options for meeting necessary water usage cuts if the states cant come to an agreement on their own. eliminate the existing million acre-foot overdraft on the Colorado Help us make Essential California serve you better. First, government officials over-allocated the rivers water when they first divvied it up 100 years ago. When you turn on your tap in Southern California, chances are some of that water came from the Colorado River. The Colorado River just outside of Moab is pictured on Sept. 20, 2021. To review your email preferences, please visit nature.org/emailpreferences. First, on the Klamath River in northern California, 4 dams will begin to be removed, Hi Friends of the Colorado River! But those cuts havent been deep enough; they havent done enough to stop the river from crashing. You can also contribute via. The worst-case scenario for drought on the Colorado River. Some students have turned to the tech for near-instantaneous essays, math help and other academic assignments. Farms, businesses, cities and towns make plans well into the future, which take time to adapt. The Bureau laid out three options in a 476-page document called a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The other option is more dramatic. Inspire others to care for our lands and rivers, explore the outdoors, and try new adventures like rafting, fishing, and hiking. 2023 The Nature Conservancy He can be reached athttp://rosenberg.usu.edu. I will never forget it. Cutting just 3 million acre-feet of water won't be enough to save the Colorado River long term. At current reservoir levels, Arizona would be required to cut 1.2 million acre-feet, while California cuts nothing, according to John Fleck, an author and Colorado River expert. Broadly speaking, cuts that follow the priority system will spare farming regions at the expense of cities a reality that may be politically unviable given that cities have much larger economies and many more people. Its essential the federal government work to reach deals to settle those claims. These savings have been achieved through conservation investments, upgraded irrigation systems, turf replacement, desalination, water recycling, groundwater management and the deployment of new technologies. 4. The Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Estevan Lpez will lead the federal delegation to the conference, which will also include officials from the Colorado River basin states, the Mexican government, Native American tribes and the private and non-governmental sectors.