Feds fund SoCal water agency to support Lake Mead | Environment
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The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has teamed up with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to prevent Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, from reaching critically low levels. The federal agency will pay the water district to keep up to 200,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River in the reservoir, which will serve about 600,000 households, boost the reservoir by three feet and prevent a 70% cut in hydropower generation at Hoover Dam. The deal, which will cost the federal agency up to $65 million, is part of a wider initiative involving California, Arizona, and Nevada, to conserve close to 700,000 acre-feet in the lake, and is seen as a temporary remedy while longer-term solutions are sought.
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Southern California Water Agency Makes Deal to Improve Lake Mead’s Water Levels
In an effort to curtail the reduction of water levels in the United States’ largest reservoir, a significant water agency in Southern California has reached an agreement with federal officials. The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California’s board of directors has approved a deal with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, where the bureau will pay MWD to retain up to 200,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River in Lake Mead.
A Broader Effort to Conserve Water
This move is part of a larger initiative involving partnerships in California, Arizona, and Nevada that will conserve approximately 700,000 acre-feet of water in the artificial lake near Las Vegas, according to Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River resources for MWD. Given the impending possibility of the lake reaching critical low levels, these partnerships are considered crucial, while more permanent solutions are being developed.
Impacts on Hoover Dam
Following a particularly warm year that has left the Colorado River’s headwaters in the Rocky Mountains largely free of snow, Lake Mead is nearing a record-low level. Should the water level fall further, the Hoover Dam’s hydropower generation, a critical electricity source for the Southwest, could plummet by 70%, as reported by MWD.
Genevieve Johnson, acting regional director for the Reclamation Bureau’s Lower Colorado Region, expressed her appreciation for the collaborative action, emphasizing its critical role in protecting Lake Mead’s water levels and mitigating the loss of hydropower generation at Hoover Dam.
Additions to the Reservoir
By the end of the year, MWD’s recently approved deal will add three feet of water to the reservoir, Hasencamp reports. The deal stipulates that the federal agency will pay MWD up to $65 million for the water, which equates to $325 per acre-foot, with an acre-foot being approximately 326,000 gallons.
Although the addition of three feet of water to the lake is not a complete solution to the drought, it will extend the time before Lake Mead reaches critical low levels, says Hasencamp. With the anticipated onset of an El Niño climate pattern, which is expected to be strong and bring significant rain and snow this winter, there are hopes that nature will help in replenishing Lake Mead.
Other Agreements and Future Predictions
Additional agreements have been approved by MWD, allowing federal officials to pay the Quechan Tribe and Bard Water District to contribute up to 19,000 acre-feet of conserved agricultural water to the lake in 2027 and 2028.
Despite these and other deals expected to increase the lake’s levels by about 10 feet, Hasencamp predicts that they may just slow the decline in water levels. As of now, the lake sits close to 1,043 feet above sea level, only two feet above the record low set in 2022. Hasencamp predicts a new record low by the end of the month or early next month.
The Role of the Colorado River
The Colorado River is a critical water source for seven states. As the guidance on how Lake Mead is to be operated will expire by the end of September, Hasencamp reports that California, Nevada, and Arizona have committed to reducing their intake from the river by 1.25 million acre-feet next year. However, an agreement among all states is unlikely to be reached before the guidelines expire, and the federal government is preparing its own two-year plan for the states.
Looking Ahead
While these agreements provide important near-term support, MWD’s Shivaji Deshmukh described it as a temporary solution and emphasized the need for long-term solutions. Echoing his sentiment, the Reclamation Bureau’s Johnson also emphasized that the Colorado River’s long-term stability relies on continued conservation, thoughtful planning, and ongoing cooperation across the basin.
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