ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Next Steps to Protect the Sustainability of the Colorado River Basin

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the latest steps in efforts to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System and strengthen water security across the West. Leveraging historic investments from President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Administration will continue to partner with states and Tribes facing historic drought conditions and build a more sustainable and equitable future for communities across the country.

See Coverage Below:

Associated Press: Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
[Kathleen Ronayne and Amy Taxin, 10/25/26]

Federal officials said Wednesday that conditions have improved on the Colorado River to the point that a plan by California, Arizona and Nevada to voluntarily reduce water use should help keep the river basin on stable footing for the next few years. The U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement that the risk of reaching critically low water elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the river's two key reservoirs, has gone down substantially.

The Hill: Biden administration advances Colorado River conservation proposal
[Sharon Udasin, 10/25/23]

A consensus-based conservation strategy proposed by Colorado River states would likely ensure that the system's reservoirs are stable over the next three years, according to the Department of the Interior. If adopted, the plans, proposed by California, Arizona and New Mexico this past spring, would require the three states to conserve an additional 3 million acre-feet of water beyond their existing cutback commitments during that timeframe… Of the total 3 million acre-feet conserved, 2.3 million acre-feet would be compensated with federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Yahoo News: Why so long? White House adviser explains time needed to craft Colorado River solution
[Greg Haas, 10/25/2023]

"This is a set of decisions, a strategy that impacts millions of Americans and billions of dollars of economic productivity. It's a set of decisions, a strategy that we have to bring everybody into. So that is our focus, building an inclusive process, a transparent process, a process that values everyone and brings all of their perspectives into the conversation," Ali Zaidi said. State governments, wildlife advocates, water agencies, more than a dozen tribes and even Lake Mead boaters have a voice in the decision. Already, more than 24,000 comments have been registered in the Scoping Report for Post-2026 Colorado River Reservoir Operations. That process "will put us on a steadier footing as we take on the climate crisis and its impacts on the West, especially on the water systems so many Americans depend on," he said.

Los Angeles Times: Feds say Colorado River water cuts are sufficient to stave off immediate risks
[Ian James, 10/25/23]

Much of the reductions in water use will be secured in exchange for federal funds from the Biden administration. More than $4 billion is available through the Inflation Reduction Act for drought response efforts. The government also has about $8 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help fund water infrastructure projects over five years. Under agreements in Arizona, water agencies in the Phoenix and Tucson areas have committed to conservation goals that will leave some water in Lake Mead. The Gila River Indian Community is also receiving $150 million over the next three years to pay for reducing water use.

Arizona Daily Star: Colorado River cuts likely to be less drastic for Arizona, other states
[Tony Davis, 10/25/23]

The entire Colorado River Basin provides essential water supplies to about 40 million people, nearly 5.5 million acres of agricultural lands, hydroelectric renewable power, recreational opportunities, habitat for ecological resources, and other benefits across the western United States and northwestern Mexico, the bureau said in its new report. The basin occupies about 250,000 square miles in the western United States and 3,500 square miles in northwestern Mexico. The basin states for years have struggled to figure out how to manage a declining river system, one caused by past overbooking of the river's supply as well as climate change.

Las Vegas Sun: New federal plan aims to ensure Colorado River's sustainability through 2026
[Rhiannon Saegert, 10/26/23]

This month, the Bureau of Reclamation released a scoping report for post-2026 Colorado River operations and announced plans to invest $8.3 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding into water projects over the next five years. An additional $4.6 billion in Inflation Reduction Acts funds will go to water conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin.

Nevada Current: Feds say water cuts to 3 states are enough to protect Colorado River – for now
[Jennifer Solis, 10/26/23]

A key component of the Biden administration's next steps to protect the stability of the Colorado River is to increase near-term water conservation using funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, said federal officials. The federal government plans to spend a total of $15.4 billion for drought resiliency programs over the coming years, mostly for large-scale projects for water storage and recycling but also to pay people to use less water. The temporary Colorado River water-sharing agreement that Arizona, California and Nevada announced in May alone depends on an injection of $1.2 billion from the federal government. "Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking another key action to bolster water resilience in the Basin States, leveraging historic investments from the President's Investing in America agenda to build a more sustainable and equitable future for communities across the West," said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.

The Denver Post: Disaster averted on Colorado River — for now — thanks to wet winter and states' plan to conserve water, feds say
[Elise Schmelzer, 10/26/23]

"Throughout the past year, our partners in the seven Basin states have demonstrated leadership and unity of purpose in helping achieve the substantial water conservation necessary to sustain the Colorado River System through 2026," Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said in a news release. "Thanks to their efforts and historic funding from President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we have staved off the immediate possibility of the system's reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations that would threaten water deliveries and power production." The Bureau of Reclamation now will undertake a more thorough analysis of the states' plan. The plan, created by the three Lower Basin states — California, Arizona and Nevada — would reduce water use by those states by 3 million acre-feet over the next three years. Most of that reduced use would be achieved through projects paid for by federal money from the Inflation Reduction Act, including conservation projects in Tucson and Phoenix.

White House Climate Policy Adviser Ali Zaidi on KVVU (Fox Las Vegas) – 10/25

"Ali Zaidi is President Biden's National Climate Advisor… he tells Fox5 the White House is investing in solutions."