A wet winter and a temporary water conservation agreement have lifted some weight off the shoulders of Colorado River policymakers.
That shift is reflected in a new draft management plan from the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency which operates major dams and reservoirs across the West., called a “Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement,” outlines water management plans until 2026 and reflects a shift away from short-term crisis management, as the region’s water policymakers begin to focus on a more permanent rewrite of rules for how the river is shared.
“Mother nature totally made this possible,” said Kyle Roerink, director of the nonprofit Great Basin Water Network. “What I really see this as is a victory lap, a pat on the back, a feather in the cap for Reclamation and the states for avoiding litigation.” An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. One acre-foot generally provides enough water for one to two households for a year.
Despite this public document, details from closed-door negotiations about the post-2026 future of the river are still fairly sparse. But John Berggren, who studies water policy at the conservation group Western Resource Advocates, said Reclamation’s latest document hints at some positive developments in Colorado River negotiations. Previously, he said, states were less likely to propose conserving millions of acre-feet, like the Lower Basin states did in their recent plan.
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