Wednesday May 14, 2025
Renewable Energy World —
Eighteen short-term System Conservation Implementation agreements with water entitlement holders in Arizona and California have been negotiated to include additional conservation of Colorado River System water amid drought in the region, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation announced.
Interior and Reclamation said they are ‘committed to working intensely” with representatives of the governors of all seven Colorado River Basin states and tribal nations within the basin to form a water management plan for the river.
Extension of 18 short-term agreements with tribal, municipal and agricultural water users in the Lower Colorado River Basin is intended to result in additional water savings through 2026, totaling approximately 321,000 acre-feet in Lake Mead storage, the equivalent of approximately five feet in reservoir elevation. The extension of these agreements can provide tribes, cities and farmers with funding for water savings during the development of Post-2026 Colorado River Operating Guidelines. This additional water helps to bolster Lake Mead’s elevation for continued resilience to deliver water and produce hydropower on the Colorado River.
“The Colorado River is essential to the American West, and Interior and Reclamation is dedicated to delivering life-sustaining water and harnessing the significant hydropower the river offers,” said Senior Advisor to the Secretary Scott Cameron. “The Trump administration remains focused on strengthening drought response in the Colorado River System and safeguarding the interests of Western communities.”