Western Water Cuts Announced, 2023 Operating Conditions Set for Lake Powell & Lake Mead
The Department of the Interior announced actions to improve and protect the Colorado River System as western drought conditions continue.
These efforts prioritize maintaining engagement with impacted states and Tribes.
The Bureau of Reclamation released the Colorado River Basin August 2022 24-Month Study, setting annual operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead in 2023 as drought conditions worsen.
The actions announced by the Department of the Interior follow investments by the Biden-Harris administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has committed $8.3 billion to address water and drought challenges, and western water and power infrastructure, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $4 billion in water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin and other drought-striken areas.
“The worsening drought crisis impacting the Colorado River Basin is driven by the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and low precipitation. In turn, severe drought conditions exacerbate wildfire risk and ecosystems disruption, increasing the stress on communities and our landscapes,” said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau in the Bureau's news release. “The Biden-Harris administration is taking an all-of-government approach to mitigating the drought, and the Interior Department is committed to using every resource available to conserve water and ensure that irrigators, Tribes and adjoining communities receive adequate assistance and support to build resilient communities and protect our water supplies.”
According to the Bureau, downstream releases from Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams – which created Lakes Powell and Mead – will be reduced again in 2023.
Lake Powell
The August 2022 24-Month Study notes that Lake Powell will operate in the Lower Elevation Balancing Tier in water year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023).
It also projects Lake Powell’s Jan. 1, 2023, water surface elevation to be 3,521.84 feet – 178 feet below full pool (3,700 feet) and 32 feet above minimum power pool (3,490 feet). Projections also determine that Lake Powell will likely release 7 million acre-feet in water year 2023, "with the potential for Powell releases to range between 7 to 9.5 maf during water year 2023, depending on hydrologic conditions, as Lake Powell and Lake Mead balance storage contents under the Lower Elevation Balancing Tier."
The Department will evaluate hydrologic conditions in April 2023 and will implement the Interim Guidelines Section 7.D by limiting water year 2023 releases (with a minimum of 7.0 maf) to protect Lake Powell from declining below 3,525 feet at the end of December 2023.
Lake Mead
Lake Mead will operate in its first-ever Level 2a Shortage Condition in calendar year 2023 (Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023). The study projects Lake Mead’s Jan. 1, 2023, operating determination elevation to be 1,047.61 feet, which "reflects a Level 2a Shortage Condition, within the DCP elevation band of 1,045 and 1,050 feet, with required shortage reductions and water savings contribution for the Lower Basin States and Mexico, pursuant to Minute 323."
The new cuts will reduce Arizona’s water share by 21% (592,000 acre-feet), Nevada’s by 8% (25,000 acre-feet) and Mexico’s by 7% (104,000 acre-feet). California has no cuts in 2023 under this operating condition.
Lake Mead provides drinking water for more than 25 million people and first-rate water-based recreation for more than eight million people each year, reported National Park Service.
Additional Comments
“Every sector in every state has a responsibility to ensure that water is used with maximum efficiency. In order to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River System and a future of uncertainty and conflict, water use in the Basin must be reduced,” said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo in the Burea's news release. “The Interior Department is employing prompt and responsive actions and investments to ensure the entire Colorado River Basin can function and support all who rely on it. We are grateful for the hardworking public servants who have dedicated their lives to this work, and who are passionate about the long-term sustainability of Basin states, Tribes, and communities.”
“The solution to our challenges relies on the bedrock of a century of collaboration and partnership in the Colorado River Basin. But as water stewards, it is our responsibility to protect the system and the millions of Americans who depend on it. Today, Reclamation starts the process on actions we can take to deliver on those responsibilities,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Reclamation remains fully committed to working in a consensus manner across the Upper and Lower Basins, with Tribes, and with the country of Mexico. I am confident that, by working together, we can achieve meaningful change toward a sustainable future for the river that serves as the lifeblood of the American West.”
