Colorado River water conservation efforts get only halfway to a solution

The existing plans and commitments to reduce water use don’t add up to even half of the savings that are needed to keep the river flowing.

By: Sarah Porter, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 20, 2026

Words: 1,414

Last Updated: 2 months ago

By Sarah Porter, Arizona State University

In August 2026 the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both on the Colorado River, hit their lowest levels since they first began to be filled in 1936 and 1963, respectively.

The federal government and the seven Colorado River basin states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – have been unable to reach an agreement about who should reduce …

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