On this edition of Your Call's One Planet Series, we're discussing the declining water levels in the Colorado River and the federal government’s new mandatory water cuts for Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. The Colorado River provides water for 40 million people.
Under Tier two shortage conditions, Arizona’s annual water allocation will be reduced by 21 percentage, Nevada’s by 8 percentage and Mexico’s by 7 percent.
The verdict is especially high-stakes for Southern California, where the river provides a quarter or a third of the region’s water supply. Seven Southern California counties rely on the river for water and hydroelectric power, and 600,000 acres of farmland draw on it for irrigation, according to CALMatters.
Guest:
Rachel Becker, environment reporter for CalMatters
Web Resources:
CalMatters: Colorado River water cut back — except for California
The Los Angeles Times: As talks on Colorado River water falter, U.S. government imposes new restrictions
The Guardian: US rivers and lakes are shrinking for a surprising reason: cows