California, Arizona, and Nevada state governments agreed to voluntarily reduce their water use from the Colorado River in a new deal with the federal government.
The voluntary reductions come as Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two main reservoirs for the river, fall to critically low levels.
- Each state agreed to reduce its water use from the river by at least three million acre-feet by 2026.
- The states agreed to reduce their water use by 1.5 million acre-feet starting next year.
- An acre-foot is roughly equivalent to the amount of water a family of four uses during a single year.
- The agreement still needs the approval of the Interior Department.
- Under the deal, water users like farms would be compensated for their reduced water usage.