Wall Street Eyes Billions in the Colorado's Water At which point, if private entities like WAM had stores of water in Lake Powell ready to sell, they would suddenly be worth quite a bit more. Researchers at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center in Farmington, N.M., works with alfalfa on July 22, 2020. If you're reading this, the chances are that some (or all!) Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. And youre still seeing continued growth. Ultimately, we argued against it, he said. Im optimistic that were going to sort through some of these more sticky problems with a good collaborative solution, Hamman said. When started, they were hailed as a fast, flexible way of redistributing water on the driest inhabited continent, with little regulation attached. The Central Arizona Project, a 336-mile-long water delivery system, brings water from the Colorado River to Arizona's . PHOENIX (CN) On the heels of one of the wettest Arizona winters in history, federal, state, local and tribal leaders united Thursday to announce a total of $233 million in funding for water conservation agreements to aid the Gila River Indian Community and other Colorado River users. Lake Powell, last full in June 1980, is at 25%. Those Upper Basin reservoir releases will likely continue next year, Interior officials said. Later, as the states negotiator on the Colorado River, he helped make it an official goal of the compact states. 2002, 2018 and 2021 are the most intense dry periods on record for the basin. If power production ceases at Glen Canyon Dam, rural electric cooperatives, cities and tribal utilities would be forced to seek more expensive options. Andrew Leimgruber grows alfalfa and vegetables on his family's farm in the Imperial Valley. Lake Mead was at 100% capacity in mid-1999. A Florida ethics board has dismissed a complaint that allies of former President Donald Trump filed against Republican rival Gov. When the states struck their agreement 100 years ago, it envisaged the river could provide 20 million acre-feet of water a year. (Photos: U.S. Geological Survey/Willie Taylor) Lake Mead is now projected to rise 33 feet higher than expected this year . In Colorado, which is both an agricultural state and an outdoor recreation magnet, water is not just critical to the economy but an emotional part of the states identity and a political third rail. The Imperial Irrigation District draws enough water from the river each year to cover. 24, 2023 at 11:45 PM PDT. Kightlinger, along with many other water experts and officials, says cuts of this magnitude and severity have to be shared, rather than doled out according to seniority. An acre-foot (1,233 cubic meters) of water is generally considered enough to supply two urban households per year. The Best Whitewater Rafting in Colorado - US News & World Report Roughly 180,000 people, most of them Mexican-American, live here in towns that include El Centro, Calexico, and Brawley. Beginning Monday . The negotiating states will be focused on restoring the flow of the Colorado River, which has been so diminished by use that from 1998 to 2014 it did not even reach its natural terminus in the Gulf of California. When you have pistachio and almond farmers willing to pay 10 times the average price, people sit up and say, How can I own some of this? he said. Colorado River tributaries serve relatively small portions of northwest and southwest New Mexico. The dry period has lasted more than two decades, draining the major reservoirs along the river. Surge of Colorado River water reaches Lake Mead - ktla.com All rights reserved. Ever since the late-2000s, the last time that water supplies in Colorado River reservoirs reached critically low levels, the biggest water users in Arizona, California, and Nevada have been stashing water in Lake Mead, in preparation for another emergency to come and in an attempt to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the region's water . Keep independent community-powered radio strong in our community. hide caption. The State of Colorado could actually buy the water from them, Mr. Libecap said. That would be a disaster. We went harder and faster than anyone and let the market rip, said Stuart Kells, a professor at La Trobe Business School in Melbourne. Theyre making water a commodity, said Regina Cobb, the Arizona assemblywoman who represents Cibola. Cities use roughly 20% of the Colorado River's water, while agriculture uses approximately 80%. Lower Colorado River Authority - Wikipedia A basinwide conservation plan had not materialized by the mid-August deadline. Before above-average snows in recent weeks, the Bureau of Reclamation was projecting that Lake Powell could start to reach such thresholds by this summer. Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Scotland on Monday for a short trip to visit his golf courses in the country and in Ireland. The idea is to kind of mitigate that sand loss, and keep things close to the way they were before the dam, said Bob Tusso, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist. Florida Keys Electric Cooperative. For the second time in six months, states that depend on the Colorado River to sustain their farms and cities have failed to reach an agreement on restricting water usage, setting up the prospect of the federal government making unilateral cuts this year. LCRA's mission is to enhance the lives of the Texans it serves through water stewardship, energy and community service. What is new is for private investors in this case an investment fund in Phoenix, with owners on the East Coast to exert that power. The bureau forecasts that for the first time, Lake Mead will operate in a Tier 2 shortage condition starting in 2023. It's the thirstiest crop in the US south-west. Will the drought put Water Consumption Work at EROS Important Asset to Colorado River - USGS Right now, we have legal and political mechanisms in place to prevent that from happening., He added, though, that the pressure of the drought could shift the terrain. But from the perspective of other states even those cuts wouldnt be nearly enough. Farmers could buy new, more water-efficient irrigation equipment. The most valuable of these rights were grandfathered in decades before the population explosion in desert cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, and privilege water access to small, often family-owned farms in stressed communities. Florida Power & Light, a part of NextEra Energy. EL CENTRO, Calif. A few hundred farms in the southern tip of California, along the Mexican border, may hold the key to saving the drought-plagued Colorado River from collapse. Most of the water in the 1,450-mile-long river comes from Colorado, and as that state's top water official from 2013 to 2017, James Eklund directed the creation of a comprehensive. Known as a compact call, such an event could trigger draconian, never-before-seen restrictions on water use in cities like Denver, while obligating them to search for alternative, higher-priced sources of water. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. He said an investor like WAM could help combat drought by creating its own storage account in Lake Powell. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Valued at $2 billion after 14 years in existence, Australias markets primarily facilitate trades in agricultural areas. More about the Colorado River - Colorado Public Radio The platform is designed to engage citizens and government leaders in a discussion about what needs improvement across the country. New York investors snapping up Colorado River water rights - Reddit Where water investors have historically gotten involved in markets is through agriculture, with mixed results. LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Lake Mead will be one foot higher by the end of the week after the release of water from Glen Canyon into the Colorado River. Reclamation is in the process of an environmental review of how to operate Glen Canyon and Hoover dams at low-water scenarios. Arizona city cuts off a neighborhoods water supply amid drought. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. BruMate, which was founded in 2015 by now 25-year-old Dylan Jacob and featured in Forbes magazine recently, sells insulated can coolers, tumblers and drinkware. The emergence of open markets could outpace the negotiations. In the West, few issues carry the political charge of water. Plus, A Surprising Number Of Food And Beverage Classes In Boulder County. [1/3]An aerial view of Lake Powell is seen, where water levels have declined dramatically as growing demand for water and climate change shrink the Colorado River in Page, Arizona, U.S., November 19, 2022. The ultimate goal of this high-flow experiment is to move sand and sediment along the Colorado River. Californias snowpack, aided by atmospheric rivers, could help drought. 5 Major Consumers of Water That Might Surprise You In September, Nasdaq and CME Group, the worlds largest derivatives marketplace, announced plans to open a futures market for California water, joining it with commodities like Brent crude oil and soybeans. The system of tunnels and dams at the New Mexico state line diverts water into the Rio Grande Basin. LAS VEGAS (AP) Living with less water in the U.S. Southwest is the focus this week for state and federal water administrators, tribal officials, farmers, academics and business representatives meeting about the drought-stricken and overpromised Colorado River. Anyone can read what you share. They're trying to jump on the market early and have the first lettuce to be harvested.". The previous owner had owned rights to the Chalk River, a tributary of the Arkansas, which irrigated the hayfields using ditches that dated from the Civil War. Cibola, Ariz., is one of the wrong places. "It's very early planting," he says. They believe that the West has an outdated and overregulated system governing access to water, which has encouraged the cultivation of crops in the desert. Sandbar at river mile 45 before (LEFT) & after (RIGHT), the 2012 high-flow. Water Law in Colorado The top 5 states are Mississippi, Missouri,. Lake Mead: Feds will release more Colorado River water downstream after Californias cuts dont kick in until later essentially a gamble on good hydrology once again helping us avoid conflict by letting us use more water in the short term, Fleck wrote on his blog. Seven arid states comprise the Colorado River BasinColorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Californiaand all exceed the national average for farm water use, with the exception of Wyoming, which uses 1.5 acre-feet of water per acre, in line with the national average. Geography was the key. One of the things I think weve learned over time is that a resource like water is best allocated through kind of a combination of market forces and regulatory oversight., He added, The market would say water is far more valuable serving urban populations.. According to Porter, some legal experts believe that the federal Bureau of Reclamation has the authority simply to order a reduction in water deliveries from reservoirs like Lake Mead to agricultural irrigation districts. Since 2008, aquifer levels underneath the city have rebounded as much as 40 feet. Greg Felt, a county commissioner, at a dried-up alfalfa farm near Nathrop, Colo. acquisition of the Owens River rights by the City of Los Angeles. Albuquerques municipal supply is entitled to as much as 15 billion gallons of San Juan-Chama water every year. That lettuce will be in grocery stores by mid-November. Steve Benson, managing partner of Benson Farms, points out a neighbor's field where a crew is planting lettuce. Dan Charles for NPR The U.S. California on Tuesday submitted its own proposal for how reductions should play out in coming years, depending on the elevation in Lake Mead. Its important for us to invest in things like outdoor water conservation and reuse, Morris said. Thats the dilemma looking at how we can reduce demand with as soft a blow as possible, Hamman said. Dan Charles for NPR LCRA provides public power, manages the lower Colorado River, builds and operates transmission lines, owns public parks, and offers community services. The Colorado River waters our crops. What if it dries up? - Vox a line, or reservoirs have been emptied, have the water consumers show the amount of water they drew by raising their cups or calling out the amount. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. They cant follow the priority system. Negotiators have had a bit of help from nature to start the year. As negotiations have progressed in recent months, the Imperial Irrigation District has offered to cut its usage by 250,000 acre-feet or about 10 percent. New Mexico still uses only about half of its allotment under the compact each year. The Colorado River empties into the Gulf of California. The tribal reservation in western Arizona includes more than 110 miles (177 kilometers) of Colorado River shoreline. By the end of May, Lake Mead will reach 1,051 feet. The best states in the U.S. come from coast to coast. Feb. 11, 2023 Updated: Feb. 11, 2023 10:50 a.m. The water will flow down the Colorado River system and eventually hit Pearce Ferry by April 26, and more water will flow into Lake Mead from April 26 to April 30. So it's been a high market. Is that something that can change? About 70% is allocated for irrigation, sustaining a $15 billion-a-year agricultural industry that supplies 90% of U.S. winter vegetables. Officials fear complete doomsday scenario for drought-stricken Colorado River. . Were in a very fortunate situation here in Albuquerque to have two different and distinct sources of supply.. A prolonged 21-year warming and drying trend is pushing the . "Six of the seven basin states are playing catch-up to reduce water use from the Colorado River, which is absolutely critically needed after 20 years of drought and the impacts of climate change," Moran told Reuters. John Hernandez, a Mexican-American activist, says that there's also a question of fairness if most of the money that the irrigation district gets for using less water potentially hundreds of millions of dollars each year gets passed out to just a few hundred farms. Many experts see its decision to sit out the agreement as fuelling the chances that the water fight will end up in the nation's highest courts. What has happened in Australia should be a cautionary tale for America, Mr. Kells said. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Dan Charles for NPR And all the positives that water has provided for 100 years in the state of Colorado are gone., Of course, not everyone has been displeased by the arrival of hedge funds reportedly paying millions in cash for old farms. A historic influx of funding for infrastructure and drought response could also help New Mexico and other basin states reduce water use and prepare for a drier future. If severe, extreme drought conditions continued, then its easier for them to sell additional cuts, said Michael J. Cohen, a senior researcher with the Pacific Institute and an expert on the Colorado River. California, despite using more water than any state, is the remaining holdout. The system worked as long as there was enough to go around, said Mr. Libecap, who recently advised the State of Colorado on its growing water problems. Demand management, as the policy is known, is an attempt to solve the so-called wrong places problem and free up water from agriculture and reroute it to urban uses and conservation. Lurking in those details, though, is a bigger and more worrisome question. LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Lake Mead will be one foot higher by the end of the week after the release of water from Glen Canyon into the Colorado River. "If you get to a point where you're at dead pool, you have nothing at all. List of United States electric companies - Wikipedia Whats being done? And now, water officials are grappling with how to make do with less. "What happened today was a step forward," said Kevin Moran, a water policy specialist at the Environmental Defense Fund. Mr. Kightlinger, of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, traces the recent private-investor interest in water to the 2015 crisis. Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. Today it is 28% full. Everybody gave a little. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. It wasnt just the drought: Californias crops had shifted from low-value seasonal vegetables like lettuce and bell peppers to permanent non-staples, like almonds, that were so valuable that it was no longer economical for farmers to sell water to cities, even as prices spiked. The deadline for public submissions is Dec. 20 for a process expected to yield a final report by summer. The proposal lays out potential new cuts for the states of the Southwest that lie downstream from the major reservoirs Arizona, Nevada and California as well as Mexico, which has treaty rights to a portion of the rivers water. Yeah. Traders could exploit volatility, whether due to drought, failing infrastructure or government restrictions. Who are the top five consumers of Colorado river? - Answers Her life changes forever when she meets Wilson Moon, a young drifter, displaced from his tribal land in the Four Corners region. But the largest water user, California, did not join them an impasse that suggests the wrangling over how to conserve the dwindling water supply that serves 40 million people will continue in coming months. hide caption. But on top of that, theres a problem with the rules, Cohen said. But theres this public perception that, Look, theres flooding. He saw a need for drastic conservation efforts to protect reservoirs from overuse and drought worsened by climate change, a situation that if left unchecked could threaten supply from the Hoover Dam to the city of Las Vegas or California. Dan Charles for NPR She is the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. His great-grandfather came to the valley from Sweden in the 1920s. Updated: Apr 26, 2023 / 01:55 PM PDT. Colorado River water crisis: 8 possible solutions to prevent drying up When I reached Holly Irwin, a county supervisor who lives in Cibola, by phone a couple of weeks after my visit, she was angry. Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District, is skeptical. Updated: Apr 26, 2023 / 01:55 PM PDT. An earlier version of this story stated that the Imperial Irrigation District's allotment of Colorado River water is enough to cover all of its irrigated land with 5 inches of water. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Utilities, which in previous dry years bought water from farmers, found they could no longer afford it. The past two years have also seen healthy winter snow accumulation in the Rockies only to have runoff levels into Lake Powell that were a fraction of normal, as terrain dried out by the warming climate absorbed more of the water before it can reach the reservoir. Lake Mead, seen here on April 3, has plummeted in recent years amid an epic drought. Associated Press journalists Brittany Peterson in Denver, Sam Metz in Salt Lake City and Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, contributed to this report. The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries. It will be baled into hay and fed to cattle such as those in the feedlot at the far end of the field. It can decide the fate of every part of the economy, from almond orchards to ski resorts to semiconductor factories. States come up with plan to save Colorado River water The farmers say they understand that people need water for health and safety although maybe not for swimming pools and lawns. It took two years to redirect the river back into its original channel. Feds Will Cut States' Access to Colorado River Water 'The brink of disaster': 2023 is a critical year for the Colorado River "I think people would like to believe that we can somehow figure out a way to keep these economic activities, keep our kind of economies and livelihoods, going," Megdal said. As a result, the talks starting in January will be a vehicle for urgent attempts to manage the water, including replenishing downstream reservoirs. Federal Water Shortage Limits Loom Over Colorado River And All - NPR But the bountiful precipitation has also been a double-edged sword, creating a political challenge for negotiators trying to agree on painful cuts, according to analysts following the talks. It lies below sea level, allowing water from the Colorado River to flow there by gravity alone. Lake Mead to rise one foot by Sunday after federal 'high flow' water The term consultation gets thrown around in the basin a whole lot, Vigil said. Andrew Leimgruber grows alfalfa and vegetables on his family's farm in the Imperial Valley. Felt said. KGNU is made possible by listeners like you! 30 water suppliers pledge to address Colorado River shortage - Los Scientists attribute extended drought to warmer and drier weather in the West to long-term, human-caused climate change. Most of the Imperial Valley actually lies below sea level, and well below the canal's starting point on the Colorado River near Yuma, Ariz. But we will not serve as an emergency reservoir for uncontrollable, unsustainable urban sprawl, Cardenas said. At the edges of Lake Mead, the Nation's largest reservoir, a "bathtub ring" of mineral deposits approximately 100 ft. high shows the drop in water level after years of drought along the Colorado River. Agricultural water use makes up nearly 80% of total water consumption in the Colorado River basin, with roughly half of that going toward the production of alfalfa hay, according to a 2020. A field of alfalfa, freshly cut, dries in the sun. The New Deal brings Colorado River water to a desert. The water tower in El Centro, the county seat of Imperial County, notes a geographic fact that shapes this area's destiny. Last month, 30 agencies that supply water to homes and businesses throughout the region joined the Las Vegas area in restricting the planting of decorative lawns that no one walks on. 2. Who are the top 5 consumers of the water of the Colorado River? The water flows will not add any more water to Lake Mead than otherwise scheduled for 2023, according to the feds. Their legal rights won't do much good if there's no more water arriving from Lake Mead. The other half is mile after mile of green fields lined by irrigation canals. These farmers, in Imperial County, currently draw more water from the Colorado River than all of Arizona and Nevada combined. The High Flow Experiment and its gushing water will ultimately decrease Lake Powell levels by 4.5 feet from April 24 to April 27. Drafted in 1922, it allocates the rivers annual flow, dividing the water among seven states desperate for their share. Alex Cardenas, the president of the board of directors of the Imperial Irrigation District, noted that the water rights among the farmers in his area of California near the border with Mexico predate the formation of the Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the river system.
Salvatore Maroni Actor, Oriel High School Incident, Articles T