A railway project in Eastern Utah is drawing significant pushback in Colorado as elected officials voice concerns about crude oil risks to the Colorado River, which is the West’s primary freshwater river.
The Uinta Basin Railway project would build around 80 miles of train tracks connecting oil production to America’s rail network.
Lake Mead, in Arizona and Nevada, is the largest reservoir in the United States and part of the Colorado River system, which supplies water to seven U.S. states and part of Mexico, including one third of the water used in Southern California. It also supplies 30 Tribal Nations.
At the end of last year, experts predicted that, due to drought and heavy demand for water, Lake Mead was just two years shy of dead pool, when water levels drop below the point at which it can flow downstream of the reservoir.
After a series of winter storms boosted California’s reservoirs and snowpack, state and federal officials are pledging full water deliveries, increasing 2023 allocations for farmers and water districts to 100% of requested supplies for the year.
With snowmelt occurring, the California Department of Water Resources said last week it expects to deliver 100% of requested water supplies from the State Water Project. That is up from a 75% allocation announced in March.
California’s snowpack is more than two-and-a-half times larger than average right now, according to the state’s Dept. of Water Resources. As the weather gets warmer, it’s going to melt. Geologists say there’s no question we needed the snow.
The San Diego County Water Authority said a new federal report that forecasts significant increases in reservoir levels along the Colorado River is “welcome news” for San Diego’s water supply.
The report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation forecasts that a near-record snowpack will raise Lake Mead at Hoover Dam by over 20 feet and Lake Powell farther north by 50 feet.
About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.
Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s deputy general manager, said the federal report “is definitely welcome news and will buy us time to make crucial decisions.”
A federal report released April 20 says near-record snowpack in the Colorado River Basin could raise the elevation of Lake Mead by more than 20 feet by the end of the year, providing a critical opportunity for water agencies to improve long-term management of the river.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s report shows vastly improved hydrological conditions are also expected to raise the water level in Lake Powell by more than 50 feet. California relies heavily on lakes Powell and Mead for water, as do Arizona and Nevada.
Despite the good news this year, the ongoing trend toward a hotter and drier climate means long-term solutions remain critical. About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.
What a difference a month makes.
The March 24-month forecast, which predicts reservoir levels along the Colorado River for the next two years, had Lake Mead on a steady trajectory downward.
A federal report released April 20 says near-record snowpack in the Colorado River Basin could raise the elevation of Lake Mead by more than 20 feet by the end of the year, providing a critical opportunity for water agencies to improve long-term management of the river.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s report shows vastly improved hydrological conditions are also expected to raise the water level in Lake Powell by more than 50 feet. California relies heavily on lakes Powell and Mead for water, as do Arizona and Nevada.
Despite the good news this year, the ongoing trend toward a hotter and drier climate means long-term solutions remain critical. About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.
The San Diego County Water Authority supports a consensus-based approach for long-term solutions that uphold California’s high-priority water rights on the Colorado River.
“The report is definitely welcome news and will buy us time to make crucial decisions,” said Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s deputy general manager. “It’s critical that everyone with a stake in the river – including the Bureau of Reclamation, basin states, tribes and Mexico – continue to develop real and lasting solutions for the river’s long-term operation.”
In its annual “24-Month Study,” Reclamation addresses changing conditions on the Colorado River and forecasts operations for the river system’s reservoirs for the following two years. Today’s report projects the above-average snowpack will help recharge the Colorado River. Up to 9.5 million acre-feet of water is expected to be released this year from Glen Canyon Dam into Lake Mead, an increase of 2.5 million acre-feet. That water could increase Lake Mead’s water level by more than 20 feet and break years of declines in the reservoir’s levels. Actual water releases into Lake Mead will be adjusted based on the observed inflow in Lake Powell.
The study follows Reclamation’s April 11 release of a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement that considers changes to near-term operations on the Colorado River, including potential reductions in water supplies for California and across the Lower Colorado River Basin. The draft analyzes two alternatives, plus a no-action alternative.
“Despite this year’s welcomed snow, the Colorado River system remains at risk from the ongoing impacts of the climate crisis,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.
— Bureau of Reclamation (@usbr) April 20, 2023
The Water Authority continues to collaborate with its partners on the Colorado River Board of California to ensure the state’s high-priority water rights on the river are upheld through the environmental review process.
“We are hopeful that Reclamation’s flow projections will materialize as expected,” Denham said. “At the same time, the Colorado River remains mired in decades of hot, dry weather that requires new thinking about water use and conservation across the Basin. As we work collaboratively to find consensus-based, long-term solutions that serve all water users, we will continue to advocate that any future actions uphold the Law of the River and California’s senior rights.”
April 20, 2023 – A federal report released today says near-record snowpack in the Colorado River Basin could raise the elevation of Lake Mead by more than 20 feet by the end of the year, providing a critical opportunity for water agencies to improve long-term management of the river.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s report shows vastly improved hydrological conditions are also expected to raise the water level in Lake Powell by more than 50 feet. California relies heavily on lakes Powell and Mead for water, as do Arizona and Nevada.
Despite the good news this year, the ongoing trend toward a hotter and drier climate means long-term solutions remain critical. About two-thirds of San Diego County’s supplies are conserved Colorado River water.
The San Diego County Water Authority supports a consensus-based approach for long-term solutions that uphold California’s high-priority water rights on the Colorado River.
“Today’s report is definitely welcome news and will buy us time to make crucial decisions,” said Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s deputy general manager. “It’s critical that everyone with a stake in the river – including the Bureau of Reclamation, basin states, tribes and Mexico – continue to develop real and lasting solutions for the river’s long-term operation.”
In its annual “24-Month Study,” Reclamation addresses changing conditions on the Colorado River and forecasts operations for the river system’s reservoirs for the following two years. Today’s report projects the above-average snowpack will help recharge the Colorado River. Up to 9.5 million acre-feet of water is expected to be released this year from Glen Canyon Dam into Lake Mead, an increase of 2.5 million acre-feet. That water could increase Lake Mead’s water level by more than 20 feet and break years of declines in the reservoir’s levels. Actual water releases into Lake Mead will be adjusted based on the observed inflow in Lake Powell.
Today’s study follows Reclamation’s April 11 release of a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement that considers changes to near-term operations on the Colorado River, including potential reductions in water supplies for California and across the Lower Colorado River Basin. The draft analyzes two alternatives, plus a no-action alternative.
The Water Authority continues to collaborate with its partners on the Colorado River Board of California to ensure the state’s high-priority water rights on the river are upheld through the environmental review process.
“We are hopeful that Reclamation’s flow projections will materialize as expected,” Denham said. “At the same time, the Colorado River remains mired in decades of hot, dry weather that requires new thinking about water use and conservation across the Basin. As we work collaboratively to find consensus-based, long-term solutions that serve all water users, we will continue to advocate that any future actions uphold the Law of the River and California’s senior rights.”
Rob Ford was watering his hay last October at his small Washington County, Utah, ranch when he realized the flow was weaker than usual. He called the irrigation manager who monitors the water levels.
“The water is really weak,” Ford said he told the irrigation manager. “Is that about what we are expecting today?”
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
