The U.S. Department of the Interior has told the states of Arizona and Nevada that they will be allowed to take less water from the Colorado River by 2023 than they had previously, due to ongoing drought and the low level of the reservoirs fed by the river.
The Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs, which contain water from the Colorado River, are at their lowest levels since the reservoirs were constructed in 1935 and 1963, respectively. Collectively, they are only filled to 28 percent of full capacity. Seven US states and northern Mexico depend on the river for drinking water supplies and agriculture.
Arizona is allowed to take 21 percent less water from Lake Mead, Nevada by 2023. Mexico must reduce its water consumption from the river by 7 percent. “The system is reaching a tipping point,” an employee of the responsible ministry said during a press conference on Tuesday. “Without action, we cannot protect the system and the millions of Americans who depend on this critical resource.”
California has older water rights than the other states and therefore does not have to surrender for the time being. However, the state’s agricultural sector, which grows one-third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruits and nuts consumed in the country, fears further water restrictions will be necessary in the future. Farmers in Arizona are already being hit by the restrictions, pointing to the fact that they grow 90 percent of the lettuce used in the US during the winter.