For the first time in forever… the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be cutting water supply from the Colorado River. The cuts will affect 40M people across the Western U.S. and Mexico, with farmers taking the biggest hit.
How much water are we talking?
- Arizona – loss of 512,000 acre-feet of water, which is about 1/5 of the Colorado River supply, and ~8% of its total water
- Nevada – loss of 21,000 acre-feet
- Mexico – loss of 80,000 acre-feet
And in case you’re wondering: One acre-foot supplies one to two households a year.
Although it was expected because of the drought and high demand, the Colorado River supply cutbacks will especially affect Pinal County, Arizona, which is the largest producer of cotton, barley, and livestock in the state.
The good news for farmers in the West… The U.S. government has taken note. Western water projects were included in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by the Senate.