Sixteen years of drought on the Colorado River, a key water
supply for California, have increased the chance that Lake Mead
will fall low enough to trigger a shortage declaration in the
not-too-distant future. It seems a matter of when and not if. The
reservoir now sits at 40 percent capacity and federal officials
say there is a 48 percent chance of a shortage declaration in
2018.
Last year, representatives from the federal government,
California and the other Lower Basin states, and Mexico came
close to an interlinked, multi-party agreement on how to slow the
reservoir’s decline to better prepare for a reduction in water
supplies. They failed to finalize a drought contingency plan
before the end of the Obama administration, leaving stakeholders
wondering what will happen now.
Californians continue to receive optimistic news that parts of
the state will see significant drought relief in 2017. One
positive development is a strong likelihood that San Luis
Reservoir near Los Banos will be full by April 1 – the first time
since 2011.
As of Tuesday, the 2 million acre-feet reservoir was at 78
percent of capacity. This is a stark contrast to last August when
the reservoir was at its lowest level in 25 years.
The Water Education Foundation is known for its colorful, poster-sized maps detailing
California water, the lower Colorado River and the Delta, and its
acclaimed series of Layperson’s
Guides examining such topics as California water, water
rights, groundwater and 13 other subjects.
