Global Courant 2023-04-20 18:30:49
The United States is considering water cuts in seven states that depend on the Colorado River, a 2,330 km (1,450 mi) waterway that provides drinking water and electricity to tens of millions of people in the American West.
The need for reductions, expected to be announced later this year, comes as water levels in the river reach a record low amid climate change-induced drought.
About 40 million people in the seven Colorado River Basin states — Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California — will be affected, including members of the region’s 30 federally recognized indigenous tribes.
Despite years of efforts to reduce the drought, in August 2021 Washington declared the first water shortage in the basin, mandating water reductions and mitigation measures, but a long-term solution remained unattainable.
Researchers have warned that without significant cutbacks, the two largest U.S. reservoirs — Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which depend on the river — could fall so low that the water will stop flowing.
With a final decision on federal budget cuts looming, Al Jazeera traveled to key locations and communities along the Colorado River to see how the crisis is affecting residents.
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Photos: US considers water stops in the middle of the Colorado River
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