Federal Government Releases Proposal on Colorado River Cuts

The United States federal government has released its proposal to reduce Colorado River usage.Ā
It includes two alternatives to prevent the riverās reservoirs from falling to critically low levels.Ā
This follows years of debate between states that utilize its water, including California.Ā Ā
Whatās in the Proposal?Ā
The proposal includes two alternatives which include:Ā
- Priority-based water resolutionĀ
- Evenly distributed cutsĀ
A priority-based water resolution would benefit agricultural regions in California and surrounding states that provide food year-round. On the other hand, itās plausible it would massively decrease the water allocation to cities such as Los Angeles and Phoenix.Ā
The other option would be to distribute the 2 million acre-feet of water cuts evenly among the states that use them. However, this would likely hurt agricultural regions that depend on the water.Ā
In addition, it would spark a similar debate that has been had for over a year on the percentage of cuts that each state should have to make. The long legal history of the Colorado River and the water rights to each state also make this a complicated option.Ā
Coloradoās Response
In the State of Coloradoās response to the federal governmentās proposal, they stated their understanding that it only came due to the lack of agreement between the seven basin states.Ā
However, they put the responsibility onĀ California and ArizonaĀ to agree on cuts made to water usage.Ā
Senator Michael Bennett, a Democrat from Colorado, has also urged the two states to join the others in a proposal, stating āThis yearās snowpack canāt be an excuse to kick the can down the road.āĀ
With pressure from Washington D.C. to get a deal done, a resolution is expected to come sooner than later.Ā
For the latest news in Greater Los Angeles, keep up withĀ BOMA on the Frontline.Ā