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.
Ted Wood/The Water Desk
Seven states in the U.S. West are facing a deadline from the federal government to come up with a plan to use substantially less Colorado River water in 2023.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to publish hydrology projections on Tuesday that will trigger agreed-upon cuts for states relying on the river.
States face the threat of proposing additional cuts or having them mandated by the federal government. Prolonged drought, climate change, and overuse are jeopardizing the water supply that more than 40 million people rely on.
States acknowledge painful cuts are needed but are stubbornly clinging to the water they were allocated a century ago.
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