Arizona will continue to take a hit on its Colorado River allotment next year as western states struggle to deal with dire drought conditions.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s shortage declaration requires Arizona to give up about 18 percent of its annual portion of Colorado River water, more than 500 thousand acre-feet. Nevada and Mexico also take cuts.
Arizona has given up some of its Colorado River water annually since 2020, cuts that deepened when the first shortage was officially declared for 2022.
The seven Colorado River Basin states are now negotiating new rules for the river to take effect just over a year from now. The Utah Rivers Council, a nonprofit conservation group, says the proposals so far don’t adequately address the reality of climate change. More that two decades of drought worsened by warming temperatures brought reservoirs to historic lows in recent years.
Today Lake Mead and Lake Powell combined are 37% full.
