LAS VEGAS – To help avoid another round of mandatory cuts, Arizona, Nevada y California They are preparing to sign an agreement that would voluntarily reduce Colorado River water to lower basin states by 500,000 acre-feet, enough to supply regarding 750,000 homes for one year, by both 2022 and 2023.
The agreement, known as the “500+ Plan,” would require millions of dollars from each state over two years, $60 million from Arizona, $20 million from Nevada and $20 million from California with federal matching dollars, to finance the payments. for water use reduction and efficiency projects that result in supply savings throughout the lower basin.
The signing is expected to take place Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association in Las Vegas, amid the urgency of negotiating new rules to manage the river’s resources beyond 2026 when the interim guidelines established in 2007 expire.
The lago Meadthe largest reservoir in the United States, hit record lows this year, causing reduced deliveries in 2022 for water rights holders in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.