Bureau of Reclamation chief says drought is forcing government to operate ‘in a completely different regime’

“What we’re seeing in 2022 is good snow, generally, in some places — but at the same time, not consistent,” Touton told CNN. “You’re seeing record events, followed by record dry months. Now add to that low reservoir level, because we didn’t have a lot of inflow to our reservoirs last year.”

“Are these temporary conditions? We do not know ; science suggests they are not,” Kuhn said. “This puts Reclamation in a difficult position as they learn to cope with a changing climate. Operating these systems under conditions of deep uncertainty is not what they were designed to do.”

Competing for water

The Bureau of Reclamation, located in the Department of the Interior, has a big role to play in how the West manages its dwindling water resources.

Founded in the early 1900s, Reclamation has built some of the largest reservoirs and dams in the West. It works with states, Native American tribes, farmers and other stakeholders to manage water, generate electricity from hydroelectric dams and prepare for drought.

But a mega-drought of this proportion had previously been predicted on the Colorado River — a complex, negotiated priority system that favors some water shareholders over others based on need and historical dependency.

“We’ve never been in these conditions before,” Touton said. “But with the partnerships that we’ve had in the pool for decades, there was always a concern that he might get there. And that was planned and, unfortunately, that’s what we’re seeing now.”

Touton said that as Reclamation fixes some aging water reservoirs and facilities, it will also look at new sources of water, including capturing stormwater when it rains and treating it for more use. late.

John Fleck, a Western water expert and professor at the University of New Mexico, said that for Reclamation, the challenge of repairing aging water infrastructure pales in comparison to drought contingency planning with states, tribes and farmers.

The Colorado River Basin “has a fundamental problem with over-allocation of water,” Fleck told CNN. “These rules that were written on pieces of paper over 100 years ago promised more water to users in the states than the river can actually deliver.”

“A Moment of Opportunity”

Even in years with a decent snowpack, the climate-fueled mega-drought means parched soil absorbs the moisture on it more quickly. This means intense competition for lower levels of water used for drinking, agriculture and power generation.

As CNN has reported, the first group of people affected by the Colorado River water cuts will be Arizona farmers – but municipalities across the state could also see reductions depending on the drop in water levels. River.

“The vast majority of this water is used for irrigated agriculture in the basin; there’s simply no getting around the reduced footprint of irrigated agriculture,” Fleck told CNN.

The biggest problem is how to maintain agriculture and lawns.

“The future of the river will be about grass, it’s not going to be about indoor plumbing,” Kuhn said. “The action is outside. It’s the crops and the herbs.”

Last summer, Nevada banned nonfunctional grass that consumes too much water, and some cities are considering planting native plants and grasses that don’t need constant watering.

Fleck said while the drought causes anxiety, it also creates opportunities for the federal government, states and stakeholders to have a realistic conversation about how to save water.

“When the tanks are full, people blow,” Fleck said. “When they run out, that’s when those opportunities arise. It creates a moment of opportunity; there are tough decisions to be made.”