The updated plan surrounding water usage of the two main Colorado River reservoirs is expected by the end of July.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is working on a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Colorado River Badin, to be released at the end of July. The bureau is preparing the statement to update resource allotments and reservoir operation rules. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum recently held a virtual meeting with the governors of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada to discuss current Colorado River levels and strategies for future management and operations.
Years of overuse, as well as warmer and drier weather, have caused reservoir levels to decrease. The seven states that rely on the Colorado River for agricultural irrigation, hydropower, recreation, and municipal supplies have failed to reach a mutual agreement on conservation and management efforts. Current operating rules for the river are set to expire in 2026.
Secretary Burgum said, “Interior remains focused on establishing a new operating framework and continues to work with the states and 30 tribes to get closer to consensus in recognition of the importance of the Colorado River to their economies and the approximately 40 million people who rely on it.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For officials in the Bureau of Reclamation as they finalize the environmental impact statement.
- For Secretary Burgum as he engages state governors in the process of updated Colorado River Basin management and conservation.
- For wisdom for federal and state leaders as they work to steward the resources across the western U.S.
Sources: Fox 5 News, The Center Square, Bureau of Reclamation
