Tag Archive for: Colorado River Basin

Water Authority Delivers Emergency Water Supply to Tijuana

/in , , /by /Water News Network Quoted: San Diego County Water Authority

Fast action by the San Diego County Water Authority and its partners is helping maintain water service in Tijuana after problems with the city’s aqueduct emerged in December.

Emergency water deliveries started last week after a coordinated effort between the Water Authority, Otay Water District, and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The typical multi-month approval process was compressed into a few days to avoid additional water supply shortages in Tijuana.

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Water Managers Across Drought-Stricken West Agree on One Thing: ‘This is Going to be Painful’

/in , , /by /Nevada Current / AZ Mirror by Jennifer Solis

Water authorities in the Western U.S. don’t have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead.

If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the region’s vitality — there won’t be enough water for anyone.

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Nevada Outlines Framework for Colorado River Cuts as States Show Their Cards

/in , , /by /The Nevada Independent by Daniel Rothberg

At the end of last year, the seven states in the Colorado River Basin committed to once again work together and negotiate a consensus framework for making significant cuts to water use, an attempt to stabilize the nation’s two largest reservoirs and avoid an even deeper shortage crisis.

The states recommitted to considering a consensus deal, by Jan. 31, after several deadlines passed in 2022 — with seemingly irreconcilable differences over how to make painful cuts in a watershed relied upon by 40 million people who use the river for drinking water and agriculture.

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Water Officials’ Message: Golf Industry Must Do More to Meet Ongoing Drought

/in , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sunby Larry Bohannan

Even in the middle of a cool and wet winter in the Coachella Valley and California in general, officials of the Coachella Valley Water District have a blunt message for the desert’s golf course industry: Take the ongoing drought seriously, because changes could be coming to water availability sooner rather than later.

“We wanted to give the picture as we know it today where the state of play is for our water resources,” said Dr. Robert Cheng, assistant general manager for CVWD and one of the main speakers at a golf and water summit that attracted more than 150 golf industry officials Wednesday at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. “We hope we paint a picture that is accurate, that is dire, that there is a need for additional actions from the golf industry to help them still maintain viability in this current situation.”

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Jim Madaffer-Vice Chair-Colorado River Board-Colorado River Board of California

Director Jim Madaffer Elected Vice Chair of the Colorado River Board of California

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San Diego County Water Authority Board Member Jim Madaffer has been elected vice chair of the Colorado River Board of California. The CRB represents California in river management discussions with other Basin states, federal agencies, tribes, and Mexico.

Madaffer, the Water Authority’s CRB representative since 2019, will serve a four-year term as vice chair following his election on January 11 during the CRB meeting in Ontario, Calif. He will serve alongside Imperial Irrigation District Board Vice President JB Hamby, who was elected chair.

Jim Madaffer: “It is essential that California agencies unite to uphold the Law of the River”

“I look forward to working with Chair Hamby and the rest of the Colorado River Board to both protect California’s water supplies during these challenging times and to work collaboratively to keep the river flowing for all users,” said Madaffer, a former chair of the Water Authority Board. “It is essential that California agencies unite to uphold the Law of the River as we seek solutions with the widest possible benefits.”

Established in 1937, CRB consists of agency representatives from the Water Authority, IID, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Coachella Valley Water District, Palo Verde Irrigation District, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Additional representatives include the directors of the California Department of Water Resources and Department of Fish and Wildlife, along with two public representatives.

Madaffer-Colorado River Board-JB Hamby-CRB

Jim Madaffer (L) the Water Authority’s CRB representative since 2019, will serve a four-year term as vice chair and will serve alongside Imperial Irrigation District Board Vice President JB Hamby, who was elected chair. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Collaboration to conserve

CRB’s role has been pivotal in protecting the state’s share of the river during this period when two decades of drought have caused a sharp supply/demand imbalance, leading to a severe decline in water levels in the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

Led by CRB, California has proposed conserving up to 400,000 acre-feet annually through 2026 to support the river. Though that conservation will not affect the San Diego region’s high-priority Quantification Settlement Agreement supplies, the region is continuing to take active steps to conserve as it has over the past three decades.

“The San Diego region is committed to doing our part to be good stewards of our water supplies,” said Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz. “We also believe in working collaboratively with all stakeholders on the river, and Jim’s leadership on the Colorado River Board in his new role as vice chair will only advance those efforts.”

‘It’s a Marathon, Not a Race’ — What Utah’s Recent Snowstorms Mean for the Colorado River

/in , , /by /The Salt Lake Tribuneby Leia Larsen

The snow keeps falling across Utah, which will likely benefit beleaguered waters like the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell. But it’s too soon to say how much of a difference it will make.

Snowpack is well above average in watersheds across the state, according to the latest data from the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Snow Survey. The Southeastern Utah basin is an astounding 190% above normal for this time of year, and other drainages that feed the Colorado River are close behind. All that snow has done little to lift Lake Powell’s elevation to date, which currently sits at about a quarter of its capacity and around 30 feet above the point where it will no longer be able to generate hydropower.

Still, there are reasons to be optimistic.

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Conferees Told Colorado River Action ‘Absolutely Critical’

/in , , /by /KNAU - Arizona Public Radio

The word “crisis” ended a Colorado River conference that drew representatives from Southwest U.S. states, tribes and Mexico to Las Vegas this week.

A top Interior Department official closed the Colorado River Water Users Association conference on Friday calling the next three months critical for agreements to deal with drought and climate change.

One deadline is next Tuesday, when federal water managers close public comment on an effort expected to yield a plan by summer to use at least 15% less river water split among seven Western U.S. states, 30 Native American tribes and Mexico.

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Planned Upper Colorado River Basin Program Reboot Could Pay Water Users to Conserve

/in , , /by /KUNCby Alex Hager

As climate change continues to shrink the Colorado River’s largest reservoirs, a group of four states that use its water are set to lay out plans to reboot a conservation program. The Upper Colorado River Commission – comprised of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico – plans to announce details of an extended “System Conservation Pilot Program” through which water users could be paid to cut back on their use.

The soon-to-be-launched program aims to use a pool of $125 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for payouts to “mitigate the impacts of long-term drought and depleted storage,” according to presentation slides obtained by KUNC.

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Snowpack Off to a Good Start Across Colorado River Basin

/in , , /by /KNAU Arizona Public Radioby Alex Hager

About 60% percent of the Colorado River starts as snow in Colorado. That’s a water lifeline for more than 40 million people from Wyoming to Mexico. This year’s snowpack is off to a good start, but the basin would need years of back-to-back wet conditions to help erase drought.

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Water Agencies Unite and Commit to Reducing Demands on Colorado River

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Recognizing that a reliable water supply is critical to all economies and communities relying on the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, more than 30 water agencies and providers have committed to take additional actions to reducing water demands and helping protect the Colorado River system.

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