The Lower Basin states are to receive a 20% cut in Colorado River allocations over the next two years.
The federal government recently released its updated Colorado River plan, which includes mandatory delivery cuts and reductions in Lake Mead withdrawals. The Lower Basin states are Arizona, Nevada and California, while the Upper Basin includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
The plan also leaves room for further reductions from the Lower Basin if necessary. The Upper Basin will not be subject to any cuts under the current plan.
The Upper Basin is required to deliver water to its counterpart under the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The law does not, however, include details regarding shortage-related water limitations.
Lake Powell is expected to release five-to-12 million acre-feet of water each year under the new framework. The shortages could conserve eight million acre-feet of water in Lake Powell and three million acre-feet in Lake Mead.
The three Lower Basin states could see shortages of three million acre-feet. An acre-foot totals 325,851 gallons and is enough for 2.5 typical Las Vegas households.
Detailed operating guidelines under the framework will be released every two years, barring a long-term agreement. The overarching framework will last for a decade.
From 2020 to 2024, the Bureau of Reclamation found 13.1 million acre-feet of water was consumed on average each year. The Lower Basin accounted for 49% of consumption; the Upper Basin accounted for 29%; Mexico used 11%, and the remaining 11% was lost due to evaporation.
Nevada Impact and Water Use
Nevada currently receives approximately 90% of its water from the Colorado River system. The Silver State draws significantly less water than the other two Lower Basin states.
Fortunately for Nevada, the state is home to robust water recycling systems that help insulate it from the severe cuts.
In 2024, the state was able to draw 279,000 acre-feet of water, which is a 7% reduction from 2023. Nevada only consumed approximately 212,000 acre-feet that year. (Source: Las Vegas Sun)
