The flow of the Colorado River dwindling rapidly.
This week, California separated itself from a water distribution agreement with six other states to address the Western water crisis with more stringent policies of its own. “What happened today was a step forward,” said Kevin Moran, a water policy specialist at the Environmental Defense Fund. Since California receives 80 percent of the Colorado River’s water to support its vast agricultural sector, water conservation efforts in this state will make up a large portion of the effort to address the western drought.
One hundred years ago, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming entered an agreement to equitably distribute the already limited water supply of the Colorado River, the only supply of fresh water in the region. At the time, it was estimated that the Colorado River could provide 20 million acre-feet of water per year, with one acre-foot able to support two urban households annually. Now, its annual flow has diminished to 12.5 million per year, and the states could vie for legal rights to more water than may actually be available.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton as she and agency officials consider conservation proposals.
- For wisdom for the leaders in the seven western states that depend on the Colorado River.
Sources: CNN, Reuters
