“There’s so little supply and so much demand,” said Brad Udall, a water and climate scientist at Colorado State University. “Ultimately, I think what we’re going to see here is some major rewriting of water law in the West.”
“We’re seeing a collision today between 19th century water law, 20th century infrastructure and 21st century population and climate change,” Udall added. “And how it will work is anyone’s guess.”
A historic megadrought, the chronic overuse of water resources and the worsening climate crisis have damaged the Colorado River and endangered the Lake Powell reservoir and its Glen Canyon dam. If the reservoir drops below 3,490 feet, the dam may not produce hydropower.
“We’re 32 feet above where there are problems. And we’ve had years, recently, where we’ve lost 50 feet or more of reservoir volume,” Udall said. distance from reaching the point where we cannot generate hydropower. That’s the first concern here.”
At 3,370 feet, the reservoir becomes a “dead pool,” which means water can no longer flow downstream, cutting off states. “The water in Lake Powell is about a quarter of the water in the Los Angeles Basin. It provides water to 90 percent of the people in Las Vegas. It supplies water to about half of Phoenix. It provides water that produces most of your winter vegetables,” Udall said.
The Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the nation’s dams, recently supported Lake Powell by pumping more water into the lake from upstream reservoirs, and reducing the amount it releases downstream. However, these are not permanent fixes.
The Interior Department last year said the seven states that rely on the Colorado River — California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — must reduce water use by 2 to 4 million acre- feet. Six of the states have reached an agreement on how to proceed. California, the largest water user, is the only one holding back, and has instead proposed a separate plan. The plan is not enough.
“Now we’re trying to get everyone on a single, consensus plan,” which is a huge effort, said Ed Andrechak, water program manager at Conserve Southwest Utah. Andrechak noted the significance of the proposed cut, targeting 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water use will be “about 25 or 30 percent of the total flow of the river.”
The snow and rain seen out west this year won’t be enough to stabilize Lake Powell, Andrechak said. “Now, the truth is, they will all be cut. Everyone has to give,” he said.
And that should happen this year. The federal government is expected to order unilateral cuts this year if all seven states do not agree.
“There is no time. The crisis is here. They don’t have to give it forever. It could be temporary for years until there are improvements,” he said. But even if water levels improve in the future, states cannot expect to return to full water use.
“Climate change is making sure it never returns to those levels,” Andrechak said.