Tag

Water Policy

All articles tagged with #water policy

environment1 month ago•62 min saved

Colorado River Faces System Crash Without Bold Water Cuts

New research warns the Colorado River Basin is approaching a 'system crash' unless states dramatically curb water use. With Lake Mead around 1,049 feet (975 ft is a critical threshold) and Lake Powell’s outflows reduced, buffer storage could quickly vanish, threatening urban supplies and especially agriculture in the Lower Basin. The study argues current negotiations aren’t enough and calls for substantial mandatory cuts across Nevada, California and Arizona, potential upstream-downstream rebalancing, and possible Supreme Court action as drought and climate pressures intensify.

via Las Vegas Review-Journal|

#climate-change #colorado-river #drought

politics1 month ago•14 min saved

Trump taps climate-law funds to tackle Western drought

With the Colorado River at record-low levels, the Trump administration is using Inflation Reduction Act funds to extend Biden-era contracts that paid water users to reduce deliveries, while Interior surveys a long backlog of proposed projects totaling more than $50 billion. Experts say meaningful relief requires permanently reducing agricultural water use, but political and legal obstacles make such changes difficult; in the near term, short-term buyouts and fallowing agreements funded by federal dollars continue to flow, illustrating a crisis-driven approach that may not solve the river’s core imbalance.

via Politico|

#colorado-river #drought #inflation-reduction-act

world1 month ago•2 min saved

Italian Supreme Court Upholds Hotel Tap Water Policy

Italy's Court of Cassation ruled there is no legal obligation for hospitality venues to provide tap water, upholding a Dolomites hotel's policy of serving only bottled water and denying a tourist's claim for compensation.

via BBC|

#consumer-rights #court-of-cassation #hotels

environment2 months ago•3 min saved

West on the Brink: Colorado River Crisis Could Trigger Broad Water Cuts

Record-low snowpack and rising demand push the Colorado River toward critical levels, with federal and Western states considering emergency water-saving measures and potential mandatory cuts that could affect farms, cities, and hydropower as a summer decision looms.

via CBS News|

#climate-change #colorado-river #drought

policy5 months ago•11 min saved

Trump-Era Colorado River Talks Put Western Water Policy to the Test

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convened seven-state governors to press for a new Colorado River agreement as climate-driven drought shrinks flows for 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of farmland. Downstream Arizona, California and Nevada seek mandatory cuts, while upstream Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming push for voluntary measures; no breakthrough emerged ahead of the Feb. 14 deadline, with a five-year interim deal floated as a pragmatic path forward. Looming is the end-of-year rule set and a risk that court battles could decide allocations if a key compact’s tripwire is crossed. Snowpack is grim this winter, threatening Lake Powell hydropower and downstream deliveries, and options include upstream releases or reduced releases to Lake Mead. Politically, the issue intersects with tensions between Trump, Newsom and Polis, complicating negotiations.

via Politico|

#climate-change #colorado-river #interior-department