LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With Lake Mead in our backyard, our future water supply is top of mind for many.
Today, Nevada, California, and Arizona submitted a proposal to the federal government to help save the Colorado River in the future.
Other states up the river have a different plan in mind. We talked with a local water official for more on what this all means.
Lake Mead is up to 1,076 feet, the highest its been since spring 2021 and another proposal is now on the table to keep more water here and save Colorado River water.
John Entsminger oversees operations at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. He says Nevada, California, and Arizona sent a long term proposal to the federal government.
It would kick in after 2026 and save 1.5 million acre feet of water a year from cuts to lower basin states.
That one year of savings could basically supply eight years of water use to all of us in Southern Nevada, meaning our water allotment would be cut by 50,000 acre feet.
We are using about 150,000 acre feet less than our legal entitlement today so for Nevada it essentially means we have less extra water.
If the drought worsens, the plan proposes a lot more cuts to be shared by all states using the river water.
But those states up the river, like Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado sent a different proposal.
"The biggest difference between the two proposals is ours shares the pain and theirs shifts all the pain to us," Entsminger said.
Upper basin officials in Colorado say they are on the front line of climate change and believe lower basin states are not more important than upper basin states.
In December, the federal government will release a draft of a plan for the public to consider. A plan will be put in place post 2026.
