With Drought Worsening, U.S. Considers Regulatory First
Though sections of the United States have faced drought conditions for many years, there is at least one federal measure the country has yet to take in one of its driest regions. But with drinking water sources dwindling, the time for doing so may be now.
“The man-made lakes that store water supplying millions of people in the U.S. West and Mexico are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, dropping to levels that could trigger the federal government’s first-ever official shortage declaration and prompt cuts in Arizona and Nevada,” the Associated Press reported.
As climate change has impacted regional snowpack flows into source bodies and caused increased water evaporation, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is projecting that Lake Powell and Lake Mead will plummet to levels low enough to prompt the official shortage. That shortage declaration level was established through a pact between states that rely on the Colorado River, including California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as Arizona and Nevada.
“A shortage declaration would subject the two U.S. states to their first mandatory reductions,” AP clarified. “Both rely on the Colorado River more than any other water source, and Arizona stands to lose roughly 18% of its supply.”
However, the loss of source water has been anticipated for some time and local officials are actively working to conserve it and seek alternative sources. According to the report, Nevada has established a water-sharing program for Lake Mead and a credit system that lets it bank recycled water back into the reservoir, for instance. California has also instituted new measures.
“In California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in two counties in the northern part of the state,” Modern Farmer reported. “Newsom has not declared this emergency for the entire state, but warnings have been sent to tens of thousands of water rights holders, asking them to start conserving water.”
And, in addition to state actions, the federal government is working to avoid having to declare an official shortage, or at least being as prepared as possible for when that time does come.
“In response, the Biden administration announced the formation of an Interagency Working Group, chaired by both the Departments of Agriculture and Interior, to determine how to cope with the worsening drought,” per Modern Farmer.
As officials across the political spectrum work on solutions for water scarcity in the American West, climate change and source water use are only increasing. Our ongoing ability to conserve and find alternatives will determine just how impactful those increases are.
To read more about how water systems work to overcome drought conditions visit Water Online’s Water Scarcity Solutions Center.