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The government has cut water deliveries to Arizona and Nevada since January because of the drought-hit Colorado River.
The Colorado River will operate in a Tier 2 deficit for the first time in 2023, as a historic drought in the West severely damaged Lakes Mead and Powell. This is the first time a lake has been designated.
The Colorado River supplies water to seven states and Mexico, but Arizona and Nevada should further reduce Colorado’s use with a 2019 agreement outlining river water management during drought. .
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Seven states had previously been warned of impending restrictions by the Department of Reclamation if they failed to save at least 15% more water, in addition to existing restrictions.
NASA images show Las Vegas’ Lake Mead water level at lowest since 2000
The Biden administration has invested large sums of money to combat the “extremely low reservoir condition.” Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the Biden administration will allocate $8.3 billion to “address water and drought issues while rebuilding existing projects to withstand changing hydrology, and provide water and power to our western region.” to invest in infrastructure.”
In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act includes an additional $4 billion to fund water management and conservation activities in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing severe drought.
“The Biden-Harris administration is adopting a whole-of-government approach to mitigating the drought, with the Department of the Interior using every available resource to conserve water, and irrigators, tribes, and adjacent communities to help as appropriate. We are committed to ensuring that we have access to and support from, and protect resilient communities and water supplies,” Deputy Home Secretary Tommy Boudreau said in a press release on Tuesday.
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This isn’t the first time Arizona and Nevada have had necessary water cuts. Last year, mandatory cuts included local farmers being paid to rest their fields, and city dwellers banned from watering their grass.