Western US States Prepare For 1st-Ever Water Shortage Declaration; Hoover Dam Hydroelectric Generation At Risk

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As the man-made lakes which store water for millions of people in the western United States are projected to shrink to historic lows in the coming months, state officials prepare for what could trigger the first-ever federally declared water shortage, which would prompt cutbacks in water usage in Arizona and Nevada.

According to the Associated Press, the US Bureau of Reclamation's 24-month projections released this week forecast that less water will flow from the Rocky Mountains through Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and into the Southwest desert regions to the Gulf of California. The two lakes are expected to suffer from water shortages that could threaten the supply of the Colorado River which farms and sprawling cities rely on.

Lake Mead is projected to fall below 1,075 feet for the first time in June 2021, the level which will trigger the shortage declaration under agreements negotiated by seven states which are reliant on Colorado River water; Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

That said, the April projections won't have any material affect unless conditions fail to improve - in which case the Bureau of Reclamation will declare a Level 1 shortage condition, resulting in cuts that would take effect next January.

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico have voluntarily given up water under a drought contingency plan for the river signed in 2019. A shortage declaration would subject the two U.S. states to their first mandatory reductions. Both rely on the Colorado River more than any other water source, and Arizona stands to lose roughly one-third of its supply.

Water agency officials say they’re confident their preparation measures, including conservation and seeking out alternative sources, would allow them to withstand cuts if the drought lingers as expected. -AP

"The study, while significant, is not a surprise. It reflects the impacts of the dry and warm conditions across the Colorado River Basin this year, as well as the effects of a prolonged drought that has impacted the Colorado River water supply," said Arizona officials from the state's Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project, in a joint statement.

In Nevada, special "straws" have been constructed to draw water from further down lake mead if levels fall - and the state has created a credit system where it can 'bank' recycled water back into the reservoir without having it count towards its allocation, according to the report.