By Angela Gonzales
Arizona water managers have been negotiating a plan to distribute Arizona’s share of water cutbacks from the Colorado River throughout the state.
The deadline to get a Drought Contingency Plan to the federal government was Jan. 31. These proposed cutbacks are in addition to 2007 interim guidelines, which were designed to reduce the possibility of drastic shortages. These guidelines, which expire in 2026, establish shortage trigger levels for Lake Mead, the main Colorado River reservoir serving Arizona, Nevada and California.
Valley water experts and business leaders were asked to comment on potential future water shortages. Here’s what they had to say:
