Amid drought conditions, US to cut water supplies for some states, Mexico; California remains unaffected
US drought
With the natural cycle of drought exacerbated by human-caused climate change and more than two decades of precipitation that was much below average, the Colorado River, the lifeblood of the western United States, is at catastrophic levels.
According to Washington officials, water supplies to some US states and Mexico would be reduced in order to prevent the "catastrophic collapse" of the Colorado River as a result of the ongoing drought.
The federal government announced on Tuesday that it was stepping in because the states that depend on the river have been unable to come to an agreement on a plan to reduce their usage despite years of warnings and a deadline set by Washington.
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In 2023, Arizona's river allocation will decrease by 21 per cent while Nevada's would decrease by 8 per cent. Mexico's allotment will decrease by 7 per cent.
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However, California, the most populous of the western states and the state that uses the most river water, will have no cuts in the coming year.
Officials in upstream states blasted the settlement on Tuesday, saying it was unfair because California was spared from any reduction.
Tom Buschatzke, director of the state's Department of Water Resources, and Ted Cooke, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, issued a joint statement that read, "It is unacceptable for Arizona to continue to carry a disproportionate burden of reductions for the benefit of others who have not contributed."
The western United States is in the midst of a 23-year drought, the worst in more than 1,000 years.Large areas of the country are now dry and more susceptible to hotter, quicker, and more catastrophic wildfires as a result of the drought.
Water use in the Basin must be decreased, according to Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science at the US Interior Department, in order to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River System and an uncertain and violent future.
(With inputs from agencies)
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