As Colorado River reservoirs plummet, Trump administration orders water cuts

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Set us as preferred The Colorado River, a critical water lifeline for seven states, has shrunk dramatically.And the nation’s largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Powell, have dropped to their lowest levels on record.In an effort to prevent the reservoirs from reaching critically low levels, the Trump administration has released a plan that orders substantial water cutbacks in California, Arizona and Nevada over the next two years and outlines possible larger cuts if deemed necessary over the next decade.The Interior Department accepted an offer the three states made to reduce what they take from the river by about 3.2 million acre-feet between now and the end of 2028.California will cut its use of Colorado River water by about 12%, while Arizona will take about 31% less and Nevada 28% less.“We’ve been in this 26-year prolonged drought period,” said Andrea Travnicek, the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for water and science.

“We continue to see a prolonged drought in our future.So continuing to work together as a whole within the basin is going to be extremely important.” Climate & Environment The Trump administration has released a 10-year plan for cutting water use to prop up the Colorado River’s reservoirs, which have fallen to a record low.The Interior Department on Friday issued a document called a record of decision detailing its 10-year plan for dealing with water shortages along the river.

If reservoir levels continue to fall, it allows for larger mandatory water cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year in California, Arizona and Nevada — as much as 40% of the combined allotments.The Trump administration did not mention climate change in its announcement.But extensive research shows global warming, driven by the use of fossil fuels and other emissions of planet-heating gases, is intensif...