The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has finalized its guidance for protecting water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. It’s a long-awaited but temporary response to reduced flows in the Colorado River from overuse, drought, and climate change.
The Record of Decision signed Thursday formalizes a proposal made last year by the Lower Basin states, Arizona, California, and Nevada. Those states promise to conserve 3 million acre-feet of water over the next two years to keep reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations.
Up to three-quarters of that unused water will be compensated by federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act. The remaining amount might be paid for by state or local entities or go uncompensated.
The decision also allows the Bureau of Reclamation to reduce releases from Lake Powell if the reservoir’s elevation is projected to fall too low to generate hydropower.
The new guidelines will remain in place through 2026, by which point new agreements for managing shortages on the Colorado River must be negotiated.
