Environmental groups have asked the Trump administration to exercise the federal government's power to curb waste water to address chronic water shortages in the Colorado River.
In a petition filed Tuesday, the Natural Resources Defense Commission and nine other groups called on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to enforce a federal regulation that states that water delivery in California, Arizona and Nevada “will not exceed the benefits of fair use.”
Mark Gold, director of water scarcity solutions for the commission, said the petition specifically targets water waste practices in agriculture, which caused about three-quarters of the flow of the Colorado River.
“In the agricultural sector, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement,” Gold said. An example of waste is flooding farms throughout the year in the desert to grow water-intensive crops such as hay.
Alfalfa and other types of hay are used to feed cattle and other livestock, and in recent years they have been increasingly exported to China, Saudi Arabia and other countries.
“The export of these water-intensive crops is similar to the export water itself, and this resource is urgently needed at home,” the leaders of the Environmental Organization wrote in the petition. They added that the Southern California farmland that relies on the water of the Colorado River is mostly irrigated by flooding, which is much more than drip and sprinkler irrigation. ”
Farmers and managers of agricultural water agencies such as the California Irrigation Area have already Participate in water conservation plans. Growers say they want to Turn to higher water irrigation systems To release water and increase reservoir levels, as long as they get enough salaries to help with payments.
However, agriculture, those engaged in agriculture also point out that in many areas, they hold water rights for more than a century, which qualifies them for priority in terms of allocation and reduction. Many farmers say they will oppose plans that government agencies may try to decide which crops to grow.
Leaders of groups submitting the petition – including Los Angeles Water Service, Orange County Coast Guard and Utah River Council – suggest that the government should also consider wasting water in cities and industries.
They noted that pure ornamental grasses in the city and “inefficiency of industrial processes due to the inefficiency of water required for outdated evaporative cooling systems.”
The Colorado River provides water to cities from Denver to Los Angeles, 30 local tribes and agricultural communities from Rocky Mountain to northern Mexico.
Gold calls the “helpful use” clause “is a very important tool to ensure the sustainable future of the Colorado River and the sustainable future of the 40 million people who rely on it.”
“The Reclamation Bureau has the right and obligation to prevent waste and protect this valuable resource,” he said.
The river has long been overused, and its reservoirs have dropped sharply under continuous dry conditions since 2000. The average flow of rivers has shrunk by about 20% since 2000, and scientists estimate that about half of this decline is global warming Powered by fossil fuel combustion.
Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the two largest reservoirs of the river, both of which are 33% full.
The seven states relying on rivers are under increasing pressure to negotiate new rules after 2026 (the current rules expire) to deal with the shortage. But those conversations In a deadlockwith the continued division of three states in the Lower River Basin (California, Arizona and Nevada), with the four states in the Up River Basin – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.
Some water managers and experts have Previously suggested The federal government should ensure necessary water cuts by slacking down the definition that separates water from “unreasonable” water waste. The environmental group’s legal petition is considered the first attempt to force federal officials to take action against the agency.
“The water level in the Colorado River has gradually decreased due to climate change, and this trend is expected to continue and worsen.
Most of the water in the Colorado River is used in agriculture. exist study The researchers published last year that alfalfa and other cattle feed crops consume 46% of the water transferred from the river, accounting for nearly two-thirds of agricultural water. The study also found that agriculture is the main user of Colorado River water, accounting for 74% of the transferred water.
The focus of the petition is a federal statute entitled Part 417which requires the Reclamation Bureau to ensure that its water delivery in the three lower basin countries “will not exceed the water required for the benefit of reasonable use”.
“Our finding is that the bureau does not comply with this requirement,” said Cara Horowitz, director of the Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic, which UCLA represents the groups.
“We hope the bureau will see the urgency of improving its water delivery process to avoid wasting Colorado River water, especially given the limitations of our supply,” Horowitz said in an email. “But if not, we are ready to consider the next step, including litigation.”
