Federal officials said Tuesday they will ease water cuts for Western states reliant on the Colorado River next year thanks to a slightly improved outlook, but long-term challenges remain.
thanks to continued drought, poor precipitation and less runoff from the river's Rocky Mountains source.A wetter winter and conservation measures have helped improve the river's health a bit this summer, but experts warn a drier future is ahead. Not much will change for Western farms or cities because of the reduced water cuts announced for next year.
The reductions are a return to what was announced in 2021, a “Tier 1” shortage. That means Arizona will see an 18% cut from its total Colorado River water allocation, down slightly from last year. The cuts announced Tuesday do not change anything for farmers in Arizona who have already lived with them for two years now. Cities and tribes will be spared, though some have already volunteered to cut back in exchange for federal money.
“The above-average precipitation this year was a welcome relief," Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said Tuesday. “However, the two largest reservoirs in the United States and the two largest storage units in the Colorado River system – remain at historically low levels.”“That is a little better than last year but still extremely low.
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