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WASHINGTON: The US government unveiled its plan on Friday for future management of the beleaguered Colorado River, with significant water reductions ahead for several western states in response to record-breaking droughts worsened by climate change.
Under the roadmap, the lower basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada could face collective cuts of up to three million acre-feet (130 billion cubic feet or 3.7 billion cubic metres) of water annually, through 2036.
That is roughly equivalent to the amount of water consumed by nine million households in a year.
The actual extent of reductions will depend on the river’s reserve levels and hydrological conditions.
