The Trump administration is preparing to take drastic action to keep the West’s most important river flowing to cities, farms and through hydropower turbines after a warm, dry winter has forecasters warning of record low flows down the waterway this year.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Reclamation is planning to cut releases out of one of the Colorado River’s biggest reservoirs — Lake Powell — to the lowest level that’s legally permissible, while at the same time moving a massive amount of water from upstream reservoirs to bolster Powell’s water levels, according to an internal report from Arizona’s top water officials obtained by POLITICO.
The report says Reclamation’s plans are not yet final but that the emergency actions could begin as soon as this week.
