Due to prolonged drought, overall snowfall and runoff into the Colorado River Basin are at all-time lows, resulting in the combined water storage in the river's two primary reservoirs—Lakes Powell and Mead—dropping to just 32 percent of capacity. The Secretary of the Interior recently announced the first-ever shortage declaration, reducing the availability of Colorado River supplies to Nevada in 2022. Projections indicate that Lake Mead water levels will continue to decline, and the likelihood of shortage remains high in future years.
Education Impacts
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 - 12:00pm
Brown Bag Webinar: All In: Confronting Southern Nevada's New Water Reality
Friday, February 4, 2022
Gaining Perspective: Agriculture in Yuma
During the winter months, as much as 70% of the leafy greens found in grocery stores are grown within 100 miles of Yuma, AZ. At the end of January,
Friday, January 28, 2022
Supreme Court to Hear WOTUS Case
On Monday the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) granted an appeal in Sackett v. EPA, a 2012 case involving federal jurisdiction to regulate wetlands on private land under the Clean Water Act (CWA). In the 2012 decision, SCOTUS sided with the Idaho landowners, ruling that the Sacketts have the right to challenge a CWA order from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but the court affirmed the lower court’s ruling that the wetland in question was under the jurisdiction of the CWA.
Friday, January 21, 2022
Weekly Wave: Reflections: On Connecting Land Planning and Water Planning
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Assessing Groundwater Withdrawal Sustainability in the Mexican Portion of the Transboundary Santa Cruz River Aquifer
The impact of climate uncertainties is already evident in the border communities of the United States and Mexico. This semi-arid to arid border region has faced increased vulnerability to water scarcity, propelled by droughts, warming atmosphere, population growth, ecosystem sensitivity, and institutional asymmetries between the two countries. In this study, we assessed the annual water withdrawal, which is essential for maintaining long-term sustainable conditions in the Santa Cruz River Aquifer in Mexico, which is part of the U.S.–Mexico Transboundary Santa Cruz Aquifer.
Friday, January 7, 2022
WRRC and Partners Engage Rural Leaders About Post-Fire Watershed Recovery
On October 29 and 30, 2021, the WRRC, Gila County Cooperative Extension, and Cobre Valley Watershed Partnership co-convened the After the Fire public meeting to unpack the status and outlook for local watersheds affected by the Telegraph and Mescal Fires.