Vegas Consumed 8% Less Colorado River Water in 2022; Yet, Conservation Measures Fall Short
Nevada consumed less Colorado River water in 2022 compared to the previous year, dropping by 8%. According to US Bureau of Reclamation data, water use decreased from 242,168 acre-feet in 2021 to 222,797 acre-feet in 2022. The drop was attributed to water conservation, stricter watering restrictions, removal of non-functional grass, and efficient water programs by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA).
SNWA spokesperson Corey Enus said, "We've managed to save 5.8 billion gallons more in 2022 than in 2021." Enus also added, "Our community is setting the benchmark in water conservation."
However, Nevada's water conservation efforts aren't sufficient. The federal government's deadline for an agreement among all seven Colorado River Water Basin states passed on January 31. The states include Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, California, and Nevada.
The agreed-upon plan aimed to conserve between 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water per year to prevent the system's collapse. Six states complied with the plan, but California was criticized for not doing enough. California's plan only cuts 400K acre-feet, while the other states shoulder more of the cuts.
The debate centers around California's substantial role in US agriculture. Southern California's Imperial Valley, the largest single water consumer in the Colorado River Basin, draws 2.6 million acre-feet annually. A third of this land is dedicated to alfalfa, a water-intensive crop that annually consumes at least 400K acre-feet of Colorado River water – more than Nevada's entire allotment.
Up to 40% of the entire Colorado River basin's water is consumed by alfalfa, according to a 2020 study. This alfalfa is primarily grown for export to countries like China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and others to fulfill their beef and dairy demand.
Corey Enus questioned, "It seems irrational to use our water to cater to the beef demand of other countries when we're in the middle of a water crisis now."
If the seven states fail to reach an agreement, the federal government may take unilateral action. The Bureau of Reclamation could release a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for review and public comments as early as this month or in April. Following this, a final SEIS and a final decision on the mandatory cuts for the seven states will be made in July.
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