Arizona, along with Nevada and Mexico, will continue to live with less water next year from the Colorado River.
The U.S. government announced water cuts on Thursday that will maintain the status quo. Arizona will again lose 18% of its total Colorado River allocation, the same as last year.
The U.S. Department of Interior started cutbacks in the amount of water states receive from the river in 2022, with deeper cuts last year. Arizona’s farmers lost the most.
Heavier rains and conservation efforts have somewhat improved the short-term outlook for Lakes Mead and Powell, which officials said are at 37% capacity.
Director of the state’s Department of Water Resources Tom Bushatzke said future conditions are likely to continue to force hard decisions.
Roughly 40 million people rely on the Colorado River.
