Farmers, ranchers cut back Colorado River water use
11 hours ago
- #agriculture
- #water-shortage
- #Colorado-River
- Farmers, ranchers, and water users in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming are cutting back on water use due to low flows in the Colorado River Basin.
- Only 41% of the average water flowed into Lake Powell from the Upper Basin states this summer, leading to fallowed fields and altered crop plans.
- Wyoming shut off water to over 163,000 acres of irrigated land, severely impacting producers and rural communities.
- Utah’s Uintah Basin faced severe shortages, forcing ranchers to reduce cattle herds and raising production costs.
- New Mexico’s San Juan Chama project received only 31% of its normal Colorado River supply, a 69% reduction.
- Farmers in southwestern Colorado have faced shortages in five of the past eight years, with some receiving only 30-56% of their usual supply.
- The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Farm and Ranch Enterprise stopped irrigating 60% of its land and laid off workers, focusing only on high-value alfalfa.
- Upper Basin states argue their uncompensated, involuntary shortages should exempt them from mandatory cuts proposed by Lower Basin states.
- Upper Basin officials emphasize the need for river operations to adapt to actual supply and prioritize rebuilding storage for resiliency.