The Colorado River Is Still in Peril
While usage cuts agreed to by Arizona, California and Nevada are welcome, states will have to do more to adapt to the waterway’s depleted flow.
A deal that calls for California, Nevada and Arizona to take less water from the Colorado River will buy the region a little time.
Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg
Nature gifted Colorado River states a little extra time to preserve that waterway’s dwindling resources, by dousing the region with record rain and snow this winter. Unfortunately, the states might once again be failing to use nature’s gifts wisely.
The Biden administration on Monday announced a deal that calls for Arizona, California and Nevada to cut their water usage by 3 million acre-feet over three years, or 13% of their allowance. (An acre-foot is how much water it takes to flood an acre with a foot of water, which should be enough to serve two typical households per year.) The deal means the federal government won’t have to impose draconian cuts on the states, a cudgel it wielded last month, which would have meant significant pain for farmers and cities in either Arizona or California, depending on the approach taken.