LAS VEGAS – To avoid another round of mandatory cuts, authorities in Arizona, Nevada and California are preparing to sign an agreement that would voluntarily reduce Colorado River water in the lower basin states by 500,000 acre feet, enough to supply approximately 750,000 homes for one year, for both 2022 and 2023.
The deal, known as the “500+ Plan,” would require millions of dollars from each state over two years – $ 60 million from Arizona, $ 20 million from Nevada, and $ 20 million from California with matching federal dollars – to fund payments. . for water consumption reduction and efficiency projects that translate into supply savings throughout the lower basin.
The signing is expected to take place on Wednesday at the Colorado River Water Users Association’s annual meeting in Las Vegas amid the urgency to negotiate new rules to manage the resources available for the river beyond 2026, when the provisional guidelines established in 2007 expire. .
Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, hit record lows this year, leading to a reduction in shipments in 2022 for water rights holders in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.
