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Lake Mead’s light-colored “bathtub ring” of mineral deposits towers above a speeding boat on June 29, 2022, near Hoover Dam.

No firm new deadline for Colorado River basin states’ conservation plans

The seven states that rely on the river blew past an August 16 deadline without a plan to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water.
The seven states in the Colorado River basin couldn't agree on a plan to conserve unprecedented amounts of water before a federal deadline. Meanwhile, grim projections for the future of water levels in Lake Mead have forced mandatory cuts to water for some users in the lower basin. Federal authorities are trying to prop up levels in the nation's largest reservoir before they dip too low to generate hydropower or allow the passage of water.

Colorado River states fail to meet federal deadline on restricting water use

Arizona will lose 21% of its Colorado River allotment next year.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

More water cuts coming to Arizona

The federal Bureau of Reclamation has announced how much Colorado River water the state will give up.
Water levels in Lake Powell, seen here in May 2021, are dipping dangerously low. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California. The measure aims to keep water levels high enough to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon Dam.

Deadline looms for drought-stricken states to cut water use

New cuts are expected on Tuesday.
Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, is projected to decline as 2022 progresses, triggering responses from both state and federal officials.

On the Colorado River the feds carry a big stick. Will the states get hit?

A summer deadline approaches for state leaders to agree on how to cut their water use.
Lake Mead and the rest of the Colorado River system are shrinking rapidly. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for new conservation measures, asking states to conserve a tremendously large amount of water, and giving them a 60-day timeline to formulate a plan for those reductions.

What will Arizona do as its share of Colorado River water diminishes?

We hear about efforts to reassess state allocations and what may come of a billion-dollar fund established this summer.
Glen Canyon Dam holds back Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir on the Colorado River. The lake is currently at 28% of its capacity.

Responding to federal pressure, Upper Colorado River states seek to bring back conservation program

Colorado River states are facing a deadline to cut their water use.
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County, Arizona.

Fort Huachuca receives $2.8M for water and environment conservation projects

The Army post is working with partners in Sierra Vista.
Water levels in Lake Powell are dipping dangerously close to "dead pool," at which point it becomes impossible to generate hydropower at the Glen Canyon dam. Experts think the reservoir could reach those levels within a year.

Hydropower customers could pay extra fees

Federal law requires fees be paid whether or not dams are generating power.
Navajo Nation family getting clean, drinking water at the local well during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New report looks into water insecurity in tribal lands across Colorado River Basin

A new report shows when it comes to clean water, its race that best predicts the haves and have nots.
Quitobaquito pond, July 18, 2020.

'A worst-case scenario': Leaks, dust, water pumping and drought plague Quitobaquito

Border-hugging spring and its pond are sacred to Hia C-ed O'odham and the Tohono O'odham communities
Boulder Basin at Lake Mead.

Planning for a future with less Colorado River water

A new book sheds light on mistakes of the past while Arizona gears up for the next round of negotiations.
Lake Mead outside of Las Vegas.

Interior secretary announces study impacting Colorado River water talks

States are set to begin negotiations next year over a new set of agreements about the river's future.
A canal carries Colorado River water to farmland near Poston, Arizona, owned and operated by the Colorado River Indian Tribes, a key player in Arizona's Drought Contingency Plan.

Historically left out, Colorado River tribes call for more sway in Western water talks

With the drought plan done, some tribal leaders say their water rights can’t be ignored any longer.
The Green and Colorado Rivers meet at Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

As Southwest water managers grapple with climate change, can a 'Grand Bargain' work?

The approach aims to rebalance some of the bad math that came from promising water to too many people.
"A" Mountain, or Sentinel Peak, stands above the dry riverbed of the Santa Cruz River near Tucson's birthplace. Feb. 22, 2018.

Supervisor Elias stresses importance of Clean Water Act to Senate committee

Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias about the importance of the Clean Water Act in the desert Southwest.

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