Water managers for the State of Arizona and the Central Arizona Project last week signed a commitment with officials from Nevada, California and the U.S. Department of the Interior to cut 500,000 acre-feet/year in water drawn from Lake Mead over the next two years.
The reduction will be funded through $200M in monies intended to pay users leaving water in the reservoir system. Half the funding comes via the newly passed federal infrastructure package.
Tribal water users are a key factor in the reductions, and they have already agreed to contribute a minimum of 180,000 acre-feet toward the goal.
In Arizona, actions will focus largely on paying water users to leave resources in the Lake Mead reservoir system. The Arizona Department of Water Resources will spend $40M over two years, with the Central Arizona Project spending another $20M. Negotiations are ongoing to guarantee more savings through 2026. (Source)