Lake Mead Deal To Save 100,000 Acre-Feet of Water in Colorado Rivers

Up to 100,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead will be conserved in 2023, the Bureau of Reclamation has announced.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is part of a $77.6 million investment which aims to fund water conservation projects and protection of the Colorado River system, according to a statement from the Biden administration. Under the plan, enough water could be saved to support over 300,000 homes for a year.

The western U.S. is under threat of a water crisis, due to years of severe drought conditions. Lake Mead has been particularly affected, and has seen a drastic decline in water levels over the past few years. For this reason, officials are working on ways to save as much water as possible.

The Colorado River feeds not only Lake Mead, but also neighboring reservoir Lake Powell. Both of these reservoirs are integral to the surrounding region but the river's flow has dropped by 20 percent over the last century, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the IID will also work on how to conserve water from 2024 through to 2026. It is estimated that these initiatives could conserve up to 800,000 acre-feet of water to boost Lake Mead's water levels.

"Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program is helping address, improve and protect the long-term stability of the Colorado River System," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Michael Brain said in a statement. "The Biden-Harris administration is using every tool and resource at our disposal to continue our sustained, collaborative progress in increasing water conservation across the West."

Lake Mead reached record low levels of around 1,040 feet in July 2022. This is the lowest the lake's levels have been since it was first constructed in the 1930s.

This year has seen some replenishment for the reservoir, as the Western U.S. was hit with record rainfall and snow this past winter.

This accumulated a record amount of snowpack in the surrounding mountains which meant the Colorado River had higher flows into Lake Mead.

However, experts are aware that they are far from out of the woods.

Climate change has caused an increase in drought-like conditions and it remains to be seen how dry 2024 will be.

"We are grateful for the Imperial Irrigation District's leadership and partnership as we worked to execute this agreement," Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in a statement. "Addressing the drought crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck moment and close collaboration among federal, state, Tribal and local communities. IID's commitment to system conservation is vital as we work to strengthen the stability of the entire Colorado River Basin."

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