One big thing
Utah and its fellow upper basin states are pushing lower basin states to reduce their water use by 1.5 million acre feet. It’s part of the negotiations on how the seven states will share the Colorado River water supply after 2026.
“That’s absolutely huge,” said Colorado River Commissioner of Utah Gene Shawcroft who characterized the ongoing discussions as “very frank.” “We want to make sure that that’s a long term commitment, not just a commitment for the next, period of time that we go through the guidelines, that that use needs to be reduced in order to help balance the system.”
Why it matters
The conserved water is crucial for maintaining reservoir levels, protecting infrastructure, and meeting obligations to downstream states.
Go deeper
- “We are wrestling with multiple things, but one of which is the term of potential new guidelines, varying from five to twenty years,” Shawcroft said.
- Amy Haas from the Upper Colorado River Commission highlighted the need to retain conserved water at Lake Powell for critical infrastructure and downstream obligations.
- “We’re pursuing the opportunity to get credit where credit is due for this conserved water,” Haas explained.
