Top water officials in Arizona are cautiously optimistic about Colorado River supplies this year.
Much of Arizona’s water comes from melted snow in the Rocky Mountains, hundreds of miles away. There was a LOT of that snow this winter, a positive change after a string of dry years. Arizona’s water director Tom Buschatzke says conservation is STILL important for the nation’s two largest reservoirs.
We can be right back down into some serious issues if we don’t do the things we need to do to protect both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Buschatzke said negotiations about water cutbacks are still ongoing between the seven states that share the river’s water, but said he wasn’t ready to provide any updates.
This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Colorado River, produced by KUNC, and supported by the Walton Family Foundation.