08/17/2021

U.S. Declares First Western Reservoir Water Shortage

This will trigger cuts to the region

U.S. officials for the first time on Monday declared an official water shortage for the massive Lake Mead reservoir, triggering supply cuts to parts of the drought-stricken Southwest, as 10 Western governors appealed for federal drought disaster aid.

The shortage will reduce water apportionments to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico for the year beginning in October, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, an Interior Department agency, said in a statement.

Arizona will lose 18 percent of its annual apportionment, while Nevada will see cuts of 7 percent. Apportionments to Mexico, which are required under a 1944 treaty, will be cut by 5 percent.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Reuters.