"Biden Administration Approves Water Conservation Plan to Safeguard Colorado River Basin"

The Biden administration has issued a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) proposing two options to conserve vital water supplies in Western states. The proposal aims to protect the Colorado River System and two key dams by substantially restricting water supplies in response to falling water levels. The plan, derived from an agreement reached by the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, aims to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of Colorado River water supplies by 2027, with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and voluntary reductions by the states. The proposal comes as Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the main reservoirs for the Lower Basin states, have reached historically low levels due to drought.