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Balanced Reporting. Trusted Insights.
Sunday, December 03, 2023
Arizona, California and Nevada's plan for conserving at least 3 million acre feet of water will be more effective at staving off the threat of two primary Colorado River reservoirs falling to "critical elevations" over the next three years than current guidelines, the Bureau of Reclamation said Wednesday.
Western producers in areas once dealing with devastating droughts scrambled to keep their livestock safe and fed this winter as a series of storms caused record-breaking amounts of precipitation. Now, the snowpack is beginning to melt, and there are concerns about potential flooding.
Six Colorado River states are at odds with California over proposals for how to conserve between 2 and 4 million acre-feet of water, leaving the decision in the hands of the Bureau of Reclamation.
Arizona's farmers, already receiving 65% less Colorado River water, are preparing to be entirely cut off from the aqueduct supply as the Bureau of Reclamation pressures states to slash water usage amid an ongoing drought.
The Interior Department is doling out more than $240 million for repairs to aging water infrastructure in the drought-ridden West, one of the first investments with ramifications for agriculture in the $1.5 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted last year.
Ranchers and environmental advocates are keeping a close eye on a decision by an Interior Department administrative law judge that found the Bureau of Land Management did not adequately analyze the impacts of grazing on greater sage-grouse habitat in Nevada.
With greater sage-grouse numbers continuing to decline throughout their range in the western United States, one state is engaging ranchers to preserve habitat for the bird, known for its elaborate mating rituals.
The situation for the wild horses and burros of the west is becoming worse, and action by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is being strongly encouraged by lawmakers and independent parties alike.
