Los Angeles Times

As Colorado River reservoirs drop, Western states urged to ‘act now’

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reported that Lake Mead, North America's largest artificial reservoir, has dropped to about 1,052 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam.

With the Colorado River’s depleted reservoirs continuing to drop to new lows, the federal government has taken the unprecedented step of telling the seven Western states that rely on the river to find ways of drastically cutting the amount of water they take in the next two months.

The Interior Department is seeking the emergency cuts to reduce the risks of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, declining to dangerously low levels next year.

“We have urgent needs to act now,” Tanya Trujillo, the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for water and science, said during a speech on Thursday. “We need to be taking action in all states, in all sectors, and in all available ways.”

Trujillo’s virtual remarks to a conference at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder underscored the dire state of the river under the stresses of climate change, and the urgency of scaling up the region’s response to stop the reservoirs from falling further. She provided

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times5 min read
South Lake Tahoe Split Over Proposal To Tax Property Owners Who Leave Homes Vacant
LOS ANGELES — Owning a vacation home in South Lake Tahoe could get more costly if residents approve a ballot measure that imposes a tax of up to $6,000 on housing units left vacant for more than half a year. The measure, dubbed the "South Lake Tahoe
Los Angeles Times1 min read
Man Killed After Interrupting Suspected Catalytic Converter Thieves In Downtown LA
LOS ANGELES — A man was shot and killed when he interrupted three people who were trying to remove a catalytic converter from a vehicle in downtown Los Angeles early Saturday, police said. The man encountered the suspects around 3:25 a.m. near Pico B
Los Angeles Times8 min read
How UCLA's Chase Griffin Became 'The Face Of The Athlete Voice Of NIL'
Faced with an unfamiliar situation, Chase Griffin relied on natural instincts. He surveyed the scene, felt the pressure and stepped up to face it. Qualities that served him as UCLA's quarterback came in handy testifying before Congress earlier this y

Related Books & Audiobooks