In a historic effort to protect the Colorado River from extended drought, the San Diego County Water Authority and five other major California water districts have signed the first of a series of agreements to save 1.6 million acre-feet of water.
California’s current Colorado River allocation is 4.4 million acre-feet annually, so the action ensures Lake Mead — the nation’s largest reservoir — can continue to deliver water to millions of people and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland over the next three years.
One acre-foot is approximately 325,900 gallons of water, enough to supply 2.5 average families of four for a year.
The agreement signed Wednesday in Las Vegas included San Diego, Imperial Irrigation District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Palo Verde Irrigation District and Coachella Valley Water District.
“Less than a year ago, we faced the worst possible consequences of drought and interstate conflict. Today, California’s agricultural, urban and tribal users are banding together through these agreements to protect the Colorado River,” said JB Hamby, Colorado River Commissioner for California. “It’s an incredible turnaround.”
Over the past year, California’s Colorado River water users have collaborated with the federal Bureau of Reclamation to develop agreements that will conserve water through 2026. The Biden administration has helped conservation efforts with a $295 million investment under the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We are proud to sign this agreement today, which reflects our strong partnerships with Reclamation and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California,” said Dan Denham, general manager of the San Diego authority,
