Nevada already has the smallest allotment of the Colorado River of any of the other six states that rely on the waterway. Now, the
Silver State is expected to give up more than a quarter of its Colorado River allotment — 84,000 acre-feet of water — over the next two years.
That's according to the Bureau of Reclamation, which on Friday released a new Environmental Impact Statement that "designates a preferred course of action for future management of Lake Powell and Lake Mead."
The new rules are set to last through 2036.
Alex Hager covers water for KJZZ in Phoenix. He said the new guidelines were made after the three lower basin states offered to make the cuts themselves to offset more drastic cuts from the federal government.
"The lower basin states put their heads together and came up with a counterproposal, said Hager. "It basically says, 'Look, we will volunteer to use less water, but can we please do it on our own terms and schedule instead of being forced to take these big draconian cuts?' And so the deal that we've been waiting for is likely somewhere between that initial federal proposal and elements, some or all, of the lower basins counterproposal."
However, when talking to managers in those states, Hager said many aren't worried because they've taken steps in recent years to ensure access to water even if Colorado River allotments shrink. That access, though, may come at a cost.
"All of these backup plans and contingency plans that cities are putting into place to make sure that people do not turn on their tap and see nothing come out," said Hager. "Those all cost a lot of money. They are spending billions of dollars on buying rights to water from farms or other cities. They are spending billions of dollars collectively on building new infrastructure on facilities that can take sewage and recycle it back into clean drinking water, and eventually those costs are going to be passed on to the people who use the water."
In a statement, Governor Joe Lombardo called the cuts "unrealistic," and that they "could have devastating economic and environmental impacts on Nevada."
Guests: Alex Hager, water reporter, KJZZ
