The Department of the Interior announced that its Bureau of Reclamation is finalizing eight new system conservation agreements, which could conserve up to 393,000-acre feet of water in Lake Mead through 2025.
Reclamation is also now accepting new proposals for long-term system efficiency improvements for further conservation in the Colorado River System.
The eight conservation agreements —administered through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act — would help finance system conservation to protect Colorado River reservoir storage volumes amid persistent climate change-driven drought conditions.
"The Interior Department is committed to a continued collaborative, consensus-based approach to conserve water and increase the efficiency of water use in the Colorado River Basin,” said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau. “These locally led conservation agreements reflect our sustained progress in increasing water conservation across the West.”
The System Conservation Implementation Agreements will commit water entities in the Tucson and Phoenix metro areas of Arizona to conserve up to 140,000-acre feet of water in Lake Mead in 2023, and up to 393,000-acre feet through 2025. Water entities entering into these agreements include:
|
Contractor
|
2023*
|
2024*
|
2025*
|
Total*
|
|
City of Phoenix
|
50,000
|
50,000
|
50,000
|
150,000
|
|
City of Tucson
|
50,000
|
30,000
|
30,000
|
110,000
|
|
ASARCO
|
14,000
|
21,000
|
21,000
|
56,000
|
|
City of Glendale
|
7,000
|
7,000
|
7,000
|
21,000
|
|
City of Peoria
|
7,200
|
7,200
|
7,200
|
19,400
|
|
City of Scottsdale
|
7,000
|
6,000
|
5,000
|
18,000
|
|
Metro Water District
|
5,000
|
5,000
|
5,000
|
15,000
|
|
Town of Gilbert
|
1,200
|
1,200
|
1,200
|
3,600
|
|
*Volumes are “up to” annual volumes in acre feet
|
With these commitments, 11 Arizona entities will have entered into System Conservation Implementation Agreements (SCIA) with the Bureau of Reclamation. The Gila River Indian Community and the Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation also recently entered into agreements to conserve water throughout the System, and GM Gabrych Family Limited Partnership has committed to do the same.
The three-year agreements provide $400 for each acre-foot that contractors do not use from their allotment of Central Arizona Project water.
Accepting efficiency improvement proposals
Reclamation also announced that it is accepting new proposals for long-term system efficiency improvements that will result in additional system conservation in the Colorado River System. This is the third opportunity for voluntary participation in the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program.
The proposal review and evaluation process will be competitive and will consider the amount and timing of water conserved in Lake Mead, the duration of the conservation and previous participation in existing conservation programs.
Reclamation will accept the proposals through July 19, 2023, from Colorado River water delivery contract or entitlement holders and Central Arizona Project water delivery contract or subcontract holders and their partners.
