Water levels on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US, is currently experiencing historic low-water levels, caused by the ongoing 20-year-long megadrought in the US West, as well as reduced snowpack in the Rocky Mountains where it usually provides a steady supply of water as it melts. The potential for falling below the minimum power pool increases to 25 to 35% beyond 2022. In late April 1996, Lake Powell sat at an elevation of 3,673 feet just 27 feet below its maximum capacity. 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. Several hundred residents are now using up the last of Recovery has always been discussed from the minute the Water Bank was created, OConnell said, but she acknowledged that efforts lagged until 2014, when the first working group was created to address the issue. But OConnell said officials will aim to spread the supply for a significantly longer period of time. But as the climate crisis continues to intensify, Arizona has been embattled with a myriad of issues, chief among them being the increasing threat of water shortage and scarcity. Water levels on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US, is currently experiencing historic low-water levels, caused by the ongoing 20-year-long megadrought in the US West, as well as reduced snowpack in the Rocky Mountains where it usually provides a steady supply of water as it melts. 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. The Tier 2a Shortage determines that central Arizona will receive 592,000 acre-feet less Colorado River water in 2023, which means an additional 80,000 acre-feet will be cut compared to this year's Tier 1 Shortage. But these measures will not be enough to combat water scarcity as the Colorado River continues to deplete. Arizona should also consider restricting municipal water consumption, such as outdoor watering and irrigation, akin to. In his, , Governor Doug Ducey plans to provide the Arizona Water Authority with. ARIZONA, USA The Bureau of Reclamation on Wednesday released updated modeling projections of reservoir levels for lakes Mead and Powell and said the latest outlook for both bodies of water along the Colorado River is troubling. There is no anticipated water supply issues for cities or tribal communities. These reports cover all 15 of Arizonas counties as well as urban areas and demographic subgroups. Cities wont directly lose Colorado River water in the upcoming shortage, but they will pay more for it. This water is about 30% of the water that flows though the CAP canals and represents about 18% of Arizonas Colorado River supply. 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. Reclamation needs to take definitive action to reduce River demands throughout the Basin. 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. The following infographic shows CAP reductions for 2022 in a Tier 1 Shortage: HOW HAS THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN PREPARED ARIZONA FOR SHORTAGE? The latest Morning Scoop panel discussion sponsored by the Arizona Capitol Times focused on a broad overview of the water issues facing Arizona. For alternative water sources, there has been discussions of, pumping floodwaters from the Mississippi River basin. A Tier 1 shortage does mean that municipal water providers will continue to do what they have done for decades. . The Colorado Rivers system is strained by the effects of a two-decade drought and by two consecutive years of poor spring runoff from the Rockies. Published 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. The bank also holds 613,000 acre-feet of water credits for Nevada, under an agreement with the Silver State to store a portion of its Colorado River water. 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. 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. 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. While that wont directly hit cities, it will make the remaining water pricier, Peoria Water Services Director Cape Powers said. This is especially true for municipal water providers, who need greater precision of what to expect from such an important water supply as they continue to make critical management decisions that will impact millions of residents and future generations. WebGilbert has four main water sources: Colorado River water from the Central Arizona Project. 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. WebARIZONA STRONGER TOGETHER In August 2021, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior declared the first-ever Tier 1 shortage for Colorado River operations. At that time of plenty, Arizona lawmakers worried that the state wasnt using its full share of Colorado River water. The Arizona water shortage 2021 is just the beginning of an ongoing crisis in the region, as climate change-induced droughts and heatwaves have driven water levels at Lake Mead and the Colorado River to plummet. 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. Queen Creeks utility director, Paul Gardner, says the community has a 100-year supply of groundwater, but hes planning for the decades beyond that to make sure the community will always have a sustainable water source. 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. Colorado River Cities 69736208007 It wont leave your tap dry, but several Phoenix-area cities are increasing water rates ahead of the shortage. 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. And some cities will even pay you to conserve. Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with the Kyl Center for WebThis August, the Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 2a for the Colorado River system for calendar year 2023. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. These Colorado River operating guidelines were established in 2007 and updated again in 2019 by the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). While unchanged water usage rates can mostly be attributed to the economys transition from one that is based largely on agriculture to urban, decades of conservation efforts including the Arizona Groundwater Management Act of 1980 and year-long mandatory water conservation measures have certainly helped. As drought pushes east, more intense wildfires are sparking in new areas. Of our Colorado River water, about 1.5 maf moves through a Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal into the metro areas of Phoenix and Tucson. When cuts are made because of low water levels in the Colorado River Basin, the state is among the first places to feel the impacts. Arizona also needs to rapidly invest and diversify its water sources. 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. Discovery Company. Boost this article 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. So what does this mean for the people of Arizona? The shortage, which will begin They also cite the costs that come with repairs toaging infrastructure in older parts of town and installing new infrastructure in younger parts of town where growth has exploded. Already, the tribe has committed to leaving water in Lake Mead the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S. West to help ensure Hoover Dam can continue generating power and deliver water to Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico in the lower Colorado River basin. But its also at risk of having water curtailed because its a lower-tier right. The latest Morning Scoop panel discussion focused on a broad overview of the water issues facing Arizona. Warm temperatures and low precipitation are anticipated to force additional emergency declarations in the Colorado River Basin later this year and in the future. In 2020 and 2021 Arizona has operated at the Tier Zero Colorado River status meaning we do not take 192,000-acre feet of our allocated 2.8-million-acre feet annual Lake Mead entitlement. But water shortage in Arizona is also pitting small towns against fast-growing metropolitan communities. You might also like: Lake Mead and Colorado River Basin Water Shortage: Causes, Effects, and Policy Solutions. Farmers therefore will be impacted first (and most) by the ongoing water shortage declaration, forcing them to take conservation measures including fallowing land where a portion of cropland cannot be planted for an entire season. 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. This could potentially move 600,000 acre-feet of water, offsetting the projected loss from the Colorado River. Now it seems, Arizona water cutbacks will begin in January 2022. 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