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Feds Announce Start of Public Process to Reshape Key Rules on Colorado River Water Use by 2027

/in , , /by /APby Ken Ritter

A public process started Thursday to reshape the way Colorado River water is distributed, with federal officials promising to collect comments about updating and enacting rules in 2027 to continue providing hydropower, drinking water and irrigation to farms, cities and tribes in seven Western U.S. states and Mexico.

The U.S. Interior Department said it will publish in the Federal Register on Friday a call for replacing guidelines that expire in 2026, including pacts enacted in 2007 for states to share cutbacks in water drawn from a river diminished by drought and climate change, as well as operating plans for the key Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs. An agreement between the United States and Mexico on use of Colorado River water also is set to expire at that time.

The department’s U.S. Bureau of Reclamation promised a “robust and transparent public process” beginning with online virtual public meetings July 17, July 18 and July 24. It set an Aug. 15 deadline for receipt of public comments on “specific operational guidelines, strategies and any other issues that should be considered.”

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Los Angeles Gets Some of its Water From Mono Lake, But There’s a Push to Change How Much

/in , /by /ABC7by Rob McMillan

Mono Lake is just one of the sources Los Angeles uses to meet its water demands. But those who oversee it want a better plan to keep more of the water in the basin.

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Don’t Be Fooled by Rain and Snow, the Colorado River is Still in Serious Trouble, Experts Say

/in , , /by /Denver Postby Conrad Swanson

Water is rushing from Colorado’s Western Slope and into the tributaries of the Colorado River, restoring reservoirs across the American West to perhaps a semblance of their former glory. Cities, farmers, ranchers and water managers are breathing a sigh of relief at the crisis avoided this summer thanks to the robust snowfall this winter.

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Historic Winter Leads to Severe Problems for LA Water Supply Operations at Owens Lake

/in , , /by /ABC 7by Rob McMillan

For over a century, Southern California has taken water from Owens Lake in Inyo County. After record runoff from winter storms, many fear it could cause catastrophic damage to the aqueduct and surrounding areas. Adam Perez, manager of the Los Angeles Aqueduct for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, described the situation as have short-term benefits, but could become a big problem in the long run.

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Could Mother Nature Cut Off California’s Water Guarantee?

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Jennifer Yachnin

In the contentious, yearlong negotiations over how to share the pain of Colorado River shortages, California officials leaned on their state’s status as the basin’s most senior water rights holder — or the last in line to take cuts when supplies run low — to fend off arguments it should bear the brunt of reductions.

The gambit worked, ultimately sparking a compromise in which California will share cuts with Arizona and Nevada over the next three years. The deal means the state will give less than 10 percent of its annual allocation, in line with its original offer.

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Opinion: Turmoil in San Diego’s Water World

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Michael Smolens Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

What seemed like an internal dispute among San Diego County water agencies is now reverberating in Sacramento and Los Angeles, potentially raising the stakes in the outcome.

At issue is the effort by two small North County water districts to get out from under the San Diego County Water Authority umbrella and hook up with an agency in Riverside County to obtain cheaper water.

Here Comes El Niño: It’s Early, Likely to be Big, Sloppy and Add Even More Heat to a Warming World

/in , , /by /Associated Pressby Seth Borenstein and Isabella O'Malley

An early bird El Niño has officially formed, likely to be strong, warp weather worldwide and give an already warming Earth an extra kick of natural heat, meteorologists announced.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday issued an El Niño advisory, announcing the arrival of the climatic condition. It may not quite be like the others.

 

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Could the Central Arizona Project Canal be the Solution to our Water Problems?

/in , /by /ABC 15 Arizonaby Jorge Torres

Along the Central Arizona Project (CAP) Canal, just beyond the city of Buckeye, is a place being considered for a project that could double the amount of water in the canal.

“It’s a game changer for the state if it works,” said Chuck Podolak with the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona.

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Snowpack Buys Utah’s Water Supply Some Time but Planning for a Drier Future is Key

/in , , /by /KUER 90.1by Saige Miller

The high Utah mountains gained 30 inches of water this winter, compared to 12 inches the year before. That amount of water in one season has done wonders for Utah’s ongoing drought.

“This time last year, about 99% of the state was in severe drought,” said Laura Haskell, the drought coordinator with the Utah Division of Water Resources. “So we have just about 14% [that] is in the moderate drought category. And that’s it.”

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Legislation to Curb Water Use for Irrigation Clears California Assembly

/in , , /by /Spectrum News 1by Susan Carpenter

A pair of California bills aimed at curbing water use for landscaping has cleared the California State Assembly.

On Wednesday, AB 1573, which requires the use of California native plants, and AB 1572, banning the use of potable water for irrigation on non-functional turf, passed onto the Senate.

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