Colorado River reservoirs hit record lows as Trump administration threatens major cuts - CBS News

What the report says

CBS News reported that the Colorado River water crisis has reached a political stalemate, with the seven basin states unable to agree on how to divide a shrinking supply. The report says Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, have dropped to record lows, heightening pressure across a region that depends on the river for cities, farms and power generation.

The dispute involves the upper basin states — Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico — and the lower basin states — California, Arizona and Nevada. Kelly Shannon McNeill, managing director of LA Waterkeeper, told CBS that California and other lower basin states have reduced Colorado River use by nearly 20% since 2015, while she said upper basin use has moved in the other direction. CBS reported that the Trump administration is preparing to impose major reductions after years of unsuccessful negotiations.

According to the report, California, Arizona and Nevada have proposed cutting about 1.6 million acre-feet, or roughly 500 billion gallons, annually for two years. Federal officials, who control river flows, are weighing reductions nearly twice that size. CBS said such cuts could raise costs for cities seeking water, tighten outdoor-use restrictions and force major adjustments for agriculture, which uses much of the river’s supply.

The broader context is a hotter, drier West: the Colorado River depends heavily on Rocky Mountain snow, and reduced snowpack and runoff have worsened shortages as regional population has grown. CBS reported that Lake Powell is 33 feet above the level at which hydropower generation would no longer be possible, and that both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are below 30% capacity.