In a sign of how dire drought conditions have become in the American West, the Bureau of Reclamation will keep water in Lake Powell and add more water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir upstream to stave off dropping water levels.... Read more»
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will ask a U.S. House spending panel to increase funding for the department's tribal programs and climate resilience efforts, according to written testimony released ahead of a hearing scheduled for Thursday.... Read more»
The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, which is more than a decade old but isn’t expected to be finished until 2029, plans to divert more than 37,000 acre feet of water from the San Juan Basin to help provide clean water to 250,000 Native Americans.... Read more»
The Central Arizona Project, which delivers Colorado River water to more than 80% of Arizona’s growing population, is taking a three-pronged approach to the megadrought that has resulted in the first water cutbacks to Arizona farmers. ... Read more»
At the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference, water managers signed landmark agreements on conservation measures to try to steer the water users toward sustainability - but growing uncertainty about the future - loomed large, leaving experts uneasy.... Read more»
Infrastructure issues have plagued tribal communities for decades, and with federal funding finally coming into Indian Country from the the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, many Arizona tribal leaders are looking forward to what that means for their communities.... Read more»
With users facing unprecedented water shortages, a new agreement to replace the century-old 1922 Colorado Compact that reflects 21st-century realities is the most productive way to fix three fundamental errors that now plague efforts to develop a new vision for the region.... Read more»
Obtaining water has been a constant source of worry for farmers in Pinal County, and with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced a Tier 1 shortage on the Colorado River in August, farmers will receive one-third of the water supply that would normally be available.... Read more»
Vice President Kamala Harris took a short tour Monday of Lake Mead - which has reached historic low water levels thanks to relentless drought and rising temperatures - and used the opportunity to pitch the Biden administration’s infrastructure and climate plans.... Read more»
Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will get less Colorado River water next year after the Bureau of Reclamation on Monday released a key monthly report that determines river water allocations for the coming year.
... Read more»
Because of the confluence of relatively recent water rights settlements and a looming shortage of Colorado River water, Native American tribes like the Tohono O’odham Nation and Gila River Indian Community will have growing influence in the water market.
... Read more»
Seven states from Utah to California share the Colorado River’s roughly 15 million acre-feet of water annually, but in the 100 years since the states agreed how to share the water, it has become clear that the river is over-allocated.
... Read more»
Pending cutbacks mean Arizona will lose fully one-third of our annual allocation of Colorado River water — with even more punitive cuts pending. As Lake Mead’s dire water level begins to capture public attention, a complex situation grows more challenging to understand even on a good day.... Read more»
With Arizona farmers expecting to take hit next year on their allocation of Colorado River water, water planners, managers, and researchers statewide are keeping a close eye on models that show the shortage could hit cities and towns in the next few years.... Read more»
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters that federal fire officials had warned to prepare for an extremely active fire year with several types of drought converging in the West this year, and "wildland fires now extend throughout the entire year, burning hotter and growing more catastrophic in drier conditions due to climate change."... Read more»
Leaders from Reclamation, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project, which delivers much of the state’s share of the river to more than half its residents, offered a glimpse Thursday of where Arizona stands with the shortage looming.... Read more»
2111111I want to help TucsonSentinel.com offer a real news alternative!
We're committed to making quality news accessible; we'll never set up a paywall or charge for our site. But we rely on your support to bring you independent news without the spin. Use our convenient PayPal/credit card donation form below or contact us at donate@tucsonsentinel.com today.
Subscribe and stretch your donation over time:
Or give a secure one-time gift with PayPal or your credit card:
TucsonSentinel.com is an Arizona nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible.
