The US government is reducing the flow of water from the Mead and Powell reservoirs in the US states of Arizona and Nevada. Reason: According to a forecast, the water levels will continue to drop.
Washington – The US states of Arizona and Nevada are facing water cuts due to ongoing water shortages along the Colorado River in the southwestern United States.
The U.S. government announced it would reduce discharge from the Mead and Powell reservoirs, which are fed by the Colorado River, for the second year in a row. The background is the forecast that the water levels will continue to drop.
The water reservoirs not only provide drinking water for seven states and also for part of Mexico, the river is also vital for agriculture and the energy supply in the region. The drought of the past decades has caused the river to thin out considerably. The region’s severe drought is due to the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and low rainfall, Deputy Home Secretary Tommy Beaudreau said on Tuesday.
“Every sector in every state has a responsibility to ensure water is used at maximum efficiency. To avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River system and a future of uncertainty and conflict, water use in the catchment must be reduced,” said Tanya Trujillo, the Interior Department’s water and science officer. Mexico also has to adjust to less water.
In the United States, the Department of the Interior, with its approximately 70,000 employees, is primarily responsible for the administration of federally owned land. The ministry decides, for example, whether nature reserves are to be designated or whether energy production such as fracking is permitted. Internal security, on the other hand – which is the responsibility of the interior ministries in Europe – is the task of the Department of Homeland Security in the USA. dpa
