The 2019 Drought Contingency Plan is an agreement signed by all 7 Colorado River Basin States created to reduce drought risk and protect the most important water resource in the western US. RELATED: Exceptional Drought: Lake Powell then and now, family revisits 2014 houseboat trip. Download these consolidated reports to get a snapshot in time of the data weve collected on our shared priorities. Boost this article Otherwise, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District could be responsible for pumping water and then delivering it via canals. But water shortage in Arizona is also pitting small towns against fast-growing metropolitan communities. The Likelihood of a Water Shortage from the Colorado River is measured by the Bureau of Reclamation, based on annual projections of water levels in Lake Mead. Follow him on Twitter@MrJoshuaBowling. The minimum power pool was designed to protect the framework of the Glen Canyon Dam. WebThis August, the Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 2a for the Colorado River system for calendar year 2023. Officials didnt want to give up the precious resource and were concerned that California could move to claim the unused portion in federal court. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) A Native American tribe that has one of the largest and most secure rights to Colorado River water now has approval to lease some of it in Arizona, a state thats been hardest hit by cuts to its water supply and is on a perpetual search for more. The Southwests water system is designed for drought , said Margaret Garcia, an assistant professor in ASUs School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. The cities will continue to plan, manage, conserve and invest in their water supplies and infrastructure to ensure they are prepared for any short-term or long-term challenges that may arise. Instead of potentially ceding those flows to California, the state opened a kind of liquid piggy bank, storing away a share of its water for an uncertain future. The Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct, fed by the Colorado River, runs through Scottsdale, Arizona. The AMWUA cities have committed resources to support this plan that includes sending water to Central Arizona farms. Mandatory shortages are affecting some states, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has called for more widespread cuts as key reservoirs shrink. Senate President Karen Fann gave us an update on what we will [], Copyright 2016 | WeMAR Government Affairs. FILE - In this July 16, 2014 file photo, what was once a marina sits high and dry due to Lake Mead receding in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona. Our readers include residents, business owners, water wonks, elected officials, and journalistspretty much anyone who cares about water. Otherwise, Colorado River conditions will rapidly spiral towards deadpool, and there will not be a River to manage. Municipal water users are currently spared. Arizona. Beyond that, there needs to be an overhaul of sustainable farming practices in the industry as well the state is the leading producers of cotton, lettuce and hay with cattle and dairy being the top agricultural products. Ultimately, Reclamation must fulfill its leadership responsibilities and determine what actions must be taken to prevent the Colorado River system from reaching such low levels that water is unable to pass through Hoover or Glen Canyon Dams. Considering Arizona relies more than 40% of water supplies from groundwater, lawmakers need to address the unregulated drainage of rural groundwater by industrial farms. Municipalities and tribes have the highest CAP priority and will not face water reductions in 2022. In my opinion, look somewhere else we need to be able to sustain ourselves.. Instead, the Arizona Water Bank operates as a kind of warehouse manager for water, recording excess Colorado River water at sites around the state. Theres over 70 feet of purposely conserved water in Lake Mead when you look at the cuts and the conservation. The tribe now can divert 3,414 acre-feet of water per year from the Colorado River. Sign up to get breaking news and information about Arizonas water industry! For Arizona, a Tier 1 Shortage results in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) to water users in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties. The drought-stricken Southwest got a reprieve this year with average and above-average snowfall following a year that sent many states into extreme drought. That declaration also triggered a reduction of water from Lake Mead: Arizona saw a cut of 512,000 acre-feet of water, about 18 percent of the states annual apportionment, while Nevada would get 21,000 acre-feet of water less, about 7 percent of its annual apportionment. After 25 years, its savings balance stored underground in facilities across the state has grown to 3.75 million acre-feet. Indeed, if the reservoir drops below 895 feet, it is considered a dead pool condition, which will jeopardise the Hoover Dams ability to provide electricity leaving nearly 1.3 million people in Arizona, California, and Nevada without power. Considering Arizona relies more than 40% of water supplies from groundwater, lawmakers need to address the unregulated drainage of rural groundwater by industrial farms. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), 41% of the states current water supply comes from groundwater, 36% from Colorado River, 18% from in-state rivers, and 5% from reclaimed water. AMWUA cities will continue to receive their Colorado River supplies in a Tier 1 Shortage and access other water sources, including Salt & Verde River water, reclaimed water, and groundwater. Lake Powell's Wahweap Bay and Marina as seen on Feb. 1, 2022, near Page. If a plant is built in Mexico, states who invest in it could take part of Mexicos share of the river in return. Warm temperatures and low precipitation are anticipated to force additional emergency declarations in the Colorado River Basin later this year and in the future. Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts and Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, recently introduced a bill aimed at preventing large corporations from profiting off water rights. As the climate crisis continues unchecked, so, too, will the water wars in the nations driest states. Prior to DCP, Arizona water users voluntarily conserved a portion of the States allocation in Lake Mead. Should surface levels at Lake Mead descend to below 1,060 feet by the beginning of 2023, the amount Arizona may have to leave in the reservoir may increase to 592,000 acre feet.Weve done lots of (voluntary) conservation in Lake Mead, both recently and probably staring in about 2014, he said. On April 15, the operators of the Colorado River system the Bureau of Reclamation made clear what everyone familiar with the drought-stricken system has For over 50 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has worked to protect our member cities ability to provide assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies to their communities. Lake Powell upstream on the Colorado River is similarly experiencing water dropping to its lowest level since it was filled in the 1960s. Grady Gammage, an attorney representing the Greenstone investment firm, told CNN that the water can be transferred to wherever the owner chooses. But Irwin argues if this one water transfer is allowed, it will open the door to many other large investment firms buying up the land and water rights in her community. The seven Basin States Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming were tasked with developing a plan within 60 days to accomplish this drastic reduction for a River currently producing less than 13 million acre-feet of water. To be proactive and prevent further depletion of Colorado River water supplies, the seven Basin States set operating guidelines to use less water when Lake Mead and Lake Powell drop to specific levels. According to the. (But) were going to see higher costs, he said, adding that Peoria is prepared to spend an extra $1 million next year on Colorado River water. In general,housing and development use less water than agriculture. Slight chance of a rain shower. Arizona has agreed to cut 720,000 acre-feet per year (AFY), Cities in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, as well as other Native American tribes who get water from a series of canals managed by the Central Arizona Project, are among the likely customers for water leases with the Colorado River Indian Tribes. You will also find maps for NOAAs (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Climate Prediction Center monthly and seasonal drought outlook by county and historical conditions going back to 2000 in the Historical Water Watcher and going back to 1846 at the Global Historical Climatology Network site. Both communities say these water rights are key to their sustainability. Reclamation and state leaders must pursue a more long-term sustainable approach to managing the Colorado River rather than trying to make marginal cuts that barely help avert shortage from year to year. In other words, the Tier 2a Shortage Declaration is a formality that does not encompass the extent of reductions necessary to prevent the Colorado River system from reaching critical levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. We anticipate a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage in 2022 will be declared next week with the release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)s August 24-Month study. ADOT 2050 What Do You Think Should be Arizonas Transportation Priorities for the Next 25 Years? As the climate crisis intensifies, battle lines are beginning to form over water. It is worth noting that despite a population increase of six million residents since 1957, Arizona has been using about the same amount of water now as they did then. The latest Morning Scoop panel discussion focused on a broad overview of the water issues facing Arizona. The state Department of Water Resources likewise requires storage facilities to monitor water levels and water quality. The briefing outlined the water shortage issues along with what declaring a Tier 1 shortage will mean for Arizona. Water is not measured in gallons at such a large level, it is instead measured in acre-feet. These guidelines include the Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 shortage levels, which would intentionally leave water in Lake Mead to keep water levels from reaching those critical levels that are now closer to becoming a reality. Arizona also needs to rapidly invest and diversify its water sources. Others thatrely much less on the Colorado Riverare not. But these measures will not be enough to combat water scarcity as the Colorado River continues to deplete. The bank never intended to fully firm 100 percent; we knew we would never have enough credits to do that, she explained, referring to the technical term for using the stored water to shore up supplies. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. They can likely triple their population under their existing allocations before they would need to acquire additional water.. Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for Several hundred residents are now using up the last of You can also read more about the basics of Arizona Water in the WeSERV Water Issues Task force flyer Water in Arizona Is My Property in an AMA or INA? with cattle and dairy being the top agricultural products. Every water user in all sectors within each state must be a part of the solution by contributing to the protection of this shared river system. Without that, I couldnt even begin to tell you how big the cuts to Arizona would be. 181,000 acre-feet is enough water to supply over 5,400 average US households for an entire year. The agency did not respond to CNNs request for comment. While that wont directly hit cities, it will make the remaining water pricier, Peoria Water Services Director Cape Powers said. Failing to meet the power pool minimum would prevent the dam from meeting its power obligations to Arizona, California and Nevada. Hand-picked stories once a fortnight. Colorado River Annual Operating Plan for 2021, Joint Colorado River Shortage Preparedness Briefing. . All rights reserved (About Us). WebARIZONA STRONGER TOGETHER In August 2021, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations. The scarcity of water in the state is pitting small towns against fast-growing metropolitan communities. Groundwater from the Town's own wells. Each profile features information and data visualizations that Arizonans can use to better understand and impact their communities. The Colorado River serves 40 million people in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. What impact will those additional reductions have on the cities? WebEach city is prepared for Tier 2 and even Tier 3 shortages because they have invested in diverse and reliable water portfolios, funded infrastructure and technology, stored water She continued: There is no more excess water for us to store. One major challenge to recovery, she said, is where the water storage facilities are located in relation to the cities looking to extract their water. Cooke also noted the fact that the voluntary contributions to raising surface levels at Lake Mead have proved to be the deciding factor in keeping the reservoir from descending to Tier 3 status already. Updated every January and August, the August projection of the following January 1 water elevation determines whether a shortage is to be declared on the system. The City of Surprise Property Maintenance Ordinance (PMO) WeSERV Comments and Suggestions, CFPB Bulletin Updates: Distressed Borrowers and New Fair Debt Collection Rule Affecting Tenant Evictions Under CDC Moratorium, We are now to the point in the legislative session when bills are either progressing through the system or they are stalled and wont see a floor vote. Following more than two decades of a megadrought that has shrunk the Colorado River and drawn down the Lake Powell reservoir to levels dangerously close to the cutoff for continued hydropower production it almost sounds like a parable. Now were in that situation where were transitioning, Virginia OConnell, the manager of the Arizona Water Banking Authority, recently said in an interview. Holly Irwin, a district supervisor in La Paz County, home to Cibola, is fighting the plan. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 1 acre-foot of water or the amount of water required to fill a single acre of land to a depth of 1 foot is enough to serve up to 3.5 single-family households annually. New predictions for Lake Mead highlight the need for additional actions on top of the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan, said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department Water Resources. In his, , Governor Doug Ducey plans to provide the Arizona Water Authority with. In 2022, Lake Meads elevation is projected to be below 1,075 feet. HOW DOES A TIER 1 SHORTAGE IMPACT ARIZONA? The writing has been on the wall for years that the Colorado Rivers yearly overallocation would eventually catch up to it. Apparently, the state has also stored nearly 3 trillion gallons of water for future use or non-rainy days, which is equivalent to serving the city of Phoenix for 30 years, according to the ADWR. She also noted: We accrue long-term storage credits from the storage at those facilities. Az DOR Workshops for PMCs Free series January and February 2023, WeSERV Government Affairs Highlights, 2023 Government Affairs Meetings, Highlights of WeSERV Government Affairs in 2022. WebThe AMWUA cities have committed resources to support this plan that includes sending water to Central Arizona farms. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. For the last two decades, the Colorado River Basin has been facing the worst drought in 1,200 years, plus experiencing a warmer climate, stressing the already over-allocated Colorado River. Scorched land and property are left behind, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Carbon, Texas, following the Eastland Complex Fire that came through two days earlier. Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for Water Policy in Arizona, says water scarcity in the state has resulted in the haves and the have nots, and likened the coming water battles to the days of the Wild West. A Colorado River shortage is just one of many scenarios the cities have planned for. The Federal Bureau of Reclamation declares water shortages, which trigger water cuts based on previously approved agreements. In 2021, the Bureau of Reclamation declared its first-ever water shortage, cutting more than 500,000 acre-feet of water going to Arizona. President Joe Biden has approved three bills that will improve access to water for three tribes in Arizona amid an unrelenting drought. But that declines over time. The next steps of shortage, then, will have more impact because there is less mitigation.. Theres no silver bullet in tackling the water shortage situation in Arizona, but until the US and the world manages to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change and therefore drought conditions the state cannot rely on the same water supplies and keep business as usual. Arizonas population growth and extreme drought have increased demand for water in limited supply. Bruce Babbitt served as governor of Arizona from 1978 to 1987 and as secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior from 1993 to 2001. Participants in the program include large and small cities on the Colorado River, irrigation districts, tribal nations and even private businesses, like Resolution Copper Mining. Some of them, like surface water supplies maintained by the Salt River Project, appear to be in good shape following reasonably good spring runoff into SRPs system of reservoirs. If you have not yet enrolled to the Single Sign-On, your username is your NRDS ID and your password is your last name. (Rebecca Slezak/Dallas Morning News/AP). But to build such a pipe would cost USD$8.6 billion, and potentially raise water prices from less than $200 for an acre-foot to $1,700. Like Scottsdale, the city asked residents to conserve water voluntarily. They also will determine how much water can be released from the banks savings. Fortunately, Arizona and forward-thinking water providers have been planning for a future where the possibility of reduced CAP water deliveries could become a reality. Basins are tested to ensure that water does not sit on the surface for days at a time, which avoids losses from excessive evaporation. As the Valley has grown, family farms have transformed into strip malls and apartment buildings. This targeted Boosting helps us to reach wider audiences aiming to convince the unconvinced, to inform the uninformed, to enlighten the dogmatic. Based on 2017 statistics, the total statewide water use was approximately 7 million acre-feet, in which 72% was used for agricultural purposes, 22% for municipal use while the remaining 6% was used for industries. As described by Ted Cooke of CAP, Arizona already has stored more than 800,000 acre-feet in Lake Mead, so were already beyond what a Tier 3 would require us to do, even while we are in a Tier 1., In the early shortage stages, Cooke noted, there was some mitigation that is, water and funds provided to the entities receiving less water. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The Colorado River Indian Tribes passed a resolution in 2020 to seek the federal legislation to help bolster the tribes economy and improve housing, health care and education on the reservation. Global Historical Climatology Network site. The Colorado River supplies water to Arizona, six other western states, and Mexico. On the western border of Arizona, acres of farmland are luring big-city investment firms to rural Cibola. For Pinal County agriculture, this will mean their water will be reduced by almost 65% and will need to come from other sources while some agricultural land will become fallow. further reductions will be needed in 2023, he ten AMWUA cities have been preparing for years to receive less water from the River, immediate challenge is the unpredictability, Arizona: 592,000 acre-feet, which is approximately 21% of the state's annualapportionment, Nevada: 25,000 acre-feet, which is 8% of the state's annual apportionment, Mexico: 104,000 acre-feet, which is approximately 7% of the country's annual allotment, California: There is no required water savings contribution for California in 2023. Arizonans are now restricted on how much Temperatures in Arizona have been steadily rising with average summer temperatures now 1.8F (1C) higher compared to 1970 levels. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). In the first year of operations, the Arizona Water Banking Authority set aside 300,000 acre-feet of water. WebThe Colorado River Basin continues to experience drought and the impacts of hotter and drier conditions. One of the provisions was a plan by the lower basin states and Mexico to share in water cutbacks, if needed, between 2020 and 2026. The land there comes with water rights to the Colorado River, a prized possession in a drought-ravaged state. The tribe secured water rights to a Colorado River tributary in 2014 through another federal water rights settlement. Crunden | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Robin Bravender | 01/17/2023 01:16 PM EST, By Hannah Northey | 01/13/2023 01:25 PM EST.
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