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Water use in Lower Basin states drops to a 40-year low

In this aerial photo, a bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water mark on the shore of Lake Mead along the border of Nevada and Arizona, Monday, March 6, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev.
John Locher
/
AP Photo
In this aerial photo, a bathtub ring of light minerals shows the high water mark on the shore of Lake Mead along the border of Nevada and Arizona, Monday, March 6, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev.

Arizona, California and Nevada have collectively dropped their water use to the lowest it’s been in 40 years. It comes amid a historic drought that’s put unprecedented stress on the Colorado River system.

In 2023, the three states consumed just under 6 million acre-feet of water. That’s 13% less than in 2022 when Lake Mead and Lake Powell reached record-low levels, and it’s the lowest water use since 1983.

The numbers come from an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data by the nonprofit news agency Circle of Blue.

Water managers in California told Circle of Blue that last year’s strong snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was a factor in reducing their Colorado River use. They also pointed toward more recycling and conservation efforts like the federal government paying farmers to forgo water deliveries.

The Colorado River Basin states are now negotiating new rules for water management to address over-allocation, drought and climate change. Existing agreements will expire in 2026.

Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert.