The Colorado River consistently remains a hot topic when it comes to headlines as it continues to suffer from the consequences of a severe historic drought, overallocation, and hotter and drier...
With the arrival of 2024, we have officially entered a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage. Now that it is here, what does it mean, and how does it impact Arizona and the AMWUA cities? We thought...
The Colorado River is in better condition than it was this time last year when water elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead were at critically low levels. While Mother Nature and this past wet...
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released the August 24-Month Study, which determines how the Colorado River system will be managed the following year based on the levels of Lake Mead. The...
Last week, Arizona, California, and Nevada announced a proposal to reduce their use of Colorado River water through 2026. This plan requires modest water reductions of 3 million acre-feet over the...
The Colorado River system is projected to reap the benefits of this winter’s above-average snowfall, at least for the short term. While it may bring a minor reprieve, the Colorado River Basin...
Water users across the Colorado River basin have been anxiously anticipating the release of a draft document outlining proposed steps to stabilize and protect the Colorado River system by the US...
Our beloved state recently celebrated its 111th birthday. While challenges come with our desert climate, it's important to pause and appreciate where we live and embrace our state's...
State and federal water leaders voiced urgency for decisive action to address the dire situation on the Colorado River at last week’s Colorado River Water Users annual conference in Las...
As Lake Mead and Lake Powell’s elevations continue to descend towards unprecedented low levels, the US Bureau of Reclamation has signaled it is considering more than one initiative to...
A historic drought, warmer climate, and overuse have all contributed to water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell rapidly declining to an unprecedented point. While drastic cuts and a long-term...
The Colorado River is a key water supply for the ten AMWUA municipalities to meet the water demands of 3.7 million residents and the Valley’s thriving high-tech manufacturing, defense,...
Uncertainty and frustration are widespread one week after the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Colorado River would be in a Tier 2a Shortage in 2023. The problem is not the Tier 2a...
What does a Tier 2a Shortage mean? The US Bureau of Reclamation declared a Tier 2a Shortage for the Colorado River in 2023 with its August 24-Month Study publication. Under the current framework...
The Colorado River's worsening conditions are dominating media stories and raising more questions than answers, even for municipal water providers. The unprecedented historic drought...
The Colorado River conditions have rapidly worsened to such a degree that the Federal Government will take extraordinary action to protect the system. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner...
The news about the Colorado River, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead is escalating. While it may seem overwhelming and confusing, we want to try to explain what it all means to us here in the Phoenix...
The cities recognize that the conditions on the Colorado River are worsening quicker than anticipated. This reality was reiterated with the recent release of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s...
Lake Mead has been our primary focus when discussing the Colorado River since that is the reservoir from which Arizona, California, and Nevada get their Colorado River supply. Yet, as of late, our...
Water managers in Arizona, California, Nevada, along with the US Department of the Interior, have agreed to take swift action to voluntarily leave an additional 500,000 acre-feet of water in Lake...
Water managers in Arizona, California, Nevada, and the US Bureau of Reclamation have been working hard to determine what additional action is necessary to keep Lake Mead from falling below...
When talking about drought, shortage, and water in Arizona, conservation is often mentioned. While we understand the significance and importance of traditional conservation efforts, another form of...
A Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage will happen in 2022, which will result in an estimated 30% reduction to Colorado River supplies delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP) in Maricopa, Pinal,...
The August 24-Month Study was released by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation today, and the details within that study confirm that a Tier 1 Shortage will be declared for 2022. This Colorado...
We anticipate a Tier 1 Colorado River Shortage in 2022 will be declared next week with the release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)’s August 24-Month study. This Tier 1...
The health of the Colorado River has been receiving significant attention with talks of a shortage in 2022. Now with the recent release of the United States Bureau of Reclamation's...
All across the West, we are all feeling the effects of the record-breaking heat and lack of precipitation. In addition to the obvious consequences, what do the high temperatures and lack of...
Above-average snowfall in the Rockies combined with the effect of the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), which ensures more water remains in Lake Mead, means the over-taxed Colorado River is...
An unusually wet winter combined with the impact of the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), which improves the overall management of the over-taxed Colorado River and ensures more water remains in Lake...
Earlier this month the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) released its latest projections that shows a reduction in the risk of shortage triggered by declining water levels at Lake Mead. The status of the...
The terms drought and shortage are commonplace in conversations across the arid State of Arizona and although they are used together regularly, they are uniquely distinct. Drought is a prolonged...
Within the next week, the United States Bureau of Reclamation will release a report little-known to those outside the world of water professionals. The report, known as the April 24-Month Study, is...
On March 19th, representatives from the seven states that rely on the Colorado River met to celebrate their collective agreement on the Drought Contingency Plans (DCP). In a letter to Congress, the...
When you live in a place where drought spans multiple decades, every bit of precipitation receives an enthusiastic welcome, but what does that really mean to our drought status, and what effect...
The most pressing issue facing Arizona as this 2019 legislative session begins is adoption of the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). It is crucial that our elected officials take swift...
The cities in the Valley of the Sun utilize just over 10 percent of all the water used in Arizona. Through smart planning and investment, these cities supply the water needs of both small...
Every August, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases a study of the Colorado River and this year it had both good news and bad news for states that rely on the river as a water resource. The study...
Now is the time to act on a plan to keep Lake Mead from falling to perilously low levels because of continuing drought and long-standing over-allocation of Colorado River water. That was the...
Water has been a hot topic at the Legislature ever since last summer when the Governor initiated a statewide conversation about this subject. AMWUA had high hopes at the beginning of the year...
The AMWUA cities believe more must be done to keep the federal government from declaring a shortage on the Colorado River. Here are the reasons why this is important to you: If the...
Cape Town, home to 4 million people, may become the first major city in the world to run out of water as soon as May 11th. Although half way around the globe, Arizona can still learn from the...
Ongoing headlines about drought in the southwest are confusing and often seem contradictory. Two weeks ago, a panel of experts advised the Governor's Office that Arizona's drought is not...
When it comes to meeting the water needs of a thriving desert economy, the amounts can really add up. Communicating these amounts in a way we can relate to sometimes misses the mark. We've all...
Many people are wondering what this rainy, snowy winter means for Arizona after more than two decades of drought. Here are five things we know right now. 1. It's raining and snowing in the...
When I meet people and they find out I work in water, they always ask me this question: When are we going to run out of water? Arizona legislators - particularly those who were just elected - have...
When City of Chandler Councilmember Rick Heumann joined the AMWUA Board of Directors six years ago he knew this about water: "I drank it." He knew Chandler had a water treatment plant and...
Various races are competing for your attention on the ballot this election season. You know the high profile races for President of the United States, the U.S. Congress and the State Legislature....
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently confirmed Arizona would not face a declared shortage of Colorado River water in 2017. This is good news but Arizona's cities, farmers and industry...
In the early 1990s, Arizona was not using all the water it was legally due from the Colorado River. Instead, much of Arizona's unused water flowed down the Colorado River to California....
Lake Mead has dropped to a historic low with a Colorado River shortage declaration looming as soon as the next couple of years. Arizona's water managers have planned and prepared for a Colorado...
Along with thirty conservation leaders and experts in the southwest, I've been wrestling with a project since 2013. It's part of the Moving Forward effort initiated by the Bureau of...
The desert is not a place where water is taken for granted. In desert cities, water must be managed. Each of the AMWUA member cities has a water management plan and part of that plan is storing...
A mussel about the size of a dime is breeding by the millions in reservoirs fed by the Colorado River. These invasive creatures, which can grow a little larger than a quarter, threaten the delivery...
The drought and potential shortages of Colorado River water have everyone talking. That's good news because no one seems to pay attention to water issues if there isn't a crisis brewing....