(HorizonPost.com) – As western states experience severe drought conditions, the Biden administration has partnered with them to conserve their water supply, according to Fox News. An agreement was reached by the “Lower Basin states” which include Arizona, California, and Nevada. Their goal is to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet (maf), or 978 billion gallons of water, by 2027, with half that number conserved by 2025.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said that the Colorado River Basin is a vital water supply to 40 million people, including the Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) and 30 “Tribal Nations.” She said that the decision to limit the water taken from the river reaffirms the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to dealing with climate change and drought.
To deal with the conservation of the river supplies, funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will compensate 2.3 maf of the water while the remainder will be voluntarily reduced by the three Lower Basin states. The Upper Basin states reportedly receive water from rivers stemming from the Colorado River. The other three states, however, are experiencing low levels of water from two of their main sources, including Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Lake Powell is a man-made reservoir behind the Glen Canyon Dam. Its level has dropped to about 3,520 feet. Lake Mead is another reservoir behind the Hoover Dam. Its level has dropped to 1,046 feet. Both are approaching their dead pool levels, which are 3,370 feet and 895 feet respectively.
A “dead pool” is defined as the situation in which a reservoir’s water level drops so low that it can no longer flow downstream from its dam. In addition to conserving water, the DOI secretary recently shut down a critical mineral mine in Minnesota to reduce its impact on the climate. She argued that there were plenty of jobs for Americans.
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