Former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in June 2022, acknowledging that the effects of drought and climate change have been unlike anything we’ve seen in our history. Touton stated that in addition to the actions already prescribed under the 2007 Interim Guidelines and the Drought Contingency Plan, an additional 2 to 4 million acre-feet (MAF) of conservation would be needed through the end of 2026 just to protect the critical levels in the major reservoirs, allowing for power generation and infrastructure stability. This kicked off a heightened sense of urgency to stabilize the system.

In March 2024, Reclamation released its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Near-Term Colorado River Operations. This features as the preferred alternative, the Lower Basin states’ May 2023 proposal to conserve three million acre-feet of Colorado River by 2026, beyond reductions previously agreed to under the 2007 Interim Shortage Guidelines and the Drought Contingency Plan.

This is a testament to the Lake Mead conservation efforts that CAP, Arizona and the Lower Colorado River Basin have been committed to for the past decade, which have kept Lake Mead from reaching critical levels.