BOULDER CITY, Nev. (KTNV) — With results from their latest 24-Month Study, the Bureau of Land Reclamation has decided on water release and retention guidelines for Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
In 2024, Lake Mead will move from Level 2 to Level 1 Shortage Condition, marking an improvement for the reservoir following a wet winter and continued conservation efforts in the region.
Meanwhile, Lake Powell will operate in a Mid-Elevation Release Tier, permitting a release of 7.48 million acre-feet in the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023 - September 30, 2024).
“The above-average precipitation this year was a welcome relief, and coupled with our hard work for system conservation, we have the time to focus on the long-term sustainability solutions needed in the Colorado River Basin,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.
While conditions look better for next year, officials are still on guard.
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"Lake Powell and Lake Mead – the two largest reservoirs in the United States and the two largest storage units in the Colorado River system – remain at historically low levels,” the Reclamation commissioner continued.
Water conservation efforts are ramping up across the western United States, including the Las Vegas Valley.
Many similar projects, funded by the Biden Administration's Investing in America plan, are helping Lake Mead release less water than it has in 30 years while maintaining needed power generation from Hoover Dam.
Reclamation officials continued, pointing to required shortages from Mexico and lower basin states like Arizona and Nevada as contributing to water conservation in their Tuesday, August 15 statement:
"Investments in system conservation and improved hydrology this year have provided an opportunity to recover some reservoir storage."
2024 by the Numbers
Lake Mead: Under a Level 1 Shortage Condition, conditions have improved from last year, but with the lake elevation sitting 10 feet below the shortage trigger of 1,075 feet, the following apportionment cuts will be enacted in calendar year 2024:
Arizona, by 512,000 acre-feet (18%)
Nevada, by 21,000 acre-feet (7%)
Mexico, by 80,000 acre-feet (5%)
Lake Powell: Under a Mid-Elevation Release Tier, officials will release 7.48 million acre-feet. Lake elevation is projected to be at 3,574 feet, which is about 125 feet below what would be considered full.
With temporary relief in sight, the Department of the Interior is focusing on long term goals.
The 2007 guidelines for the Lower Basin Water Shortage are set to expire in 2026, officials are now working on mapping out the next 20 years of Colorado River usage.
In May 2023, Nevada California and Arizona reached an agreement on water cuts to protect Lake Mead and the Colorado River.
The cuts aim to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water through the end of 2026.
