The Colorado River is a significant source of water for Southern California. Water from the river also supports Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. 40 million people rely on water from the Colorado River, including populations in many of the largest cities in the U.S. It also provides irrigation to farms where much of the country’s winter vegetables are grown.
As years of drought and continued climate warming take their toll on the amount of water flowing down the river, water levels in reservoirs used to store the supply, Lakes Mead and Powell, the two largest reservoirs on the river, have reached record low levels. Also at play are water allocations that exceed the current supply.
So, what is the future of this crucial water lifeline for California? Join us for a discussion on this important question.
We’ll hear from Jaci Gould, Lower Colorado Basin Regional Director, and Amy Witherall, Binational Program Manager, from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the agency largely responsible for managing infrastructure and water supply in the West. Jaci and Amy will provide an overview of the Colorado River Basin, water allocations, reservoir status, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to be released in Summer 2023, Reclamation’s post-2026 process, and the relationship with Mexico concerning the Colorado River.
Tina Shields, Water Department Manager for Imperial Irrigation District (IID), will discuss IID’s ongoing conservation efforts and the proposed ramp-up of these conservation efforts through 2026 for California’s drought protection plan and the impacts on the Salton Sea.
Bill Hasencamp, Manager for the Colorado River Resources at Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), will cover MWD’s water supply portfolio, their partnerships with agriculture and tribes to augment the water supply, and current efforts to reduce demand through programs like Pure Water Southern California – the largest planned water recycling project in the nation.
Registration
Registration is free and open to active AWWEE members plus two guests. Guest name and email required at registration.
Non-member registration is $20.