Arizona water chiefs report movement in Colorado River talks, potential Lake Powell protections

Arizona’s chief water executive reports movement in Colorado River negotiations and a potential agreement on Lake Powell protections.

The seven basin states that rely on the Colorado River were supposed to come to a deal in November on where to make necessary water cuts, but that deadline passed without an agreement after negotiations stalled.

Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said the states plus the federal government are now meeting once a week and plan to continue doing so until the next looming deadline, which is Feb. 14.

He noted that U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum invited the seven basin governors to meet with him in person in Washington, D.C., to discuss the river in December. Scheduling conflicts prevented that, but the meeting could take place in the next several weeks.

Buschatzke believes that meeting could be key to getting a deal over the finish line.

“We’ve got the full-court press on. I think a meeting with the governors and the seven negotiators with the secretary and the federal team, I think is a critical item that could occur in January that I'm hoping will create a big leap forward for us,” Buschatzke said.

Lake Powell

Lake Powell is fed by the Colorado River and is spread mostly over Utah. It also feeds Lake Mead. Both reservoirs are dangerously low, endangering not only water deliveries, but also hydroelectric power.

A potential solution to boosting Lake Powell’s levels, Buschatzke said, would be to restrict water withdrawals from the reservoir in the winter season.

Taking less water out of Lake Powell in the winter would give the reservoir a chance to raise its levels.

In the winter, there’s a period of less rain before snow begins to melt when there's not much water naturally flowing into Lake Powell.

So if water users move water out of Lake Powell in July as opposed to January, the elevation of the reservoir would hopefully stay a bit higher.

Buschatzke said as the state’s representative, he’s willing to contribute to Lake Powell protections by holding off on winter withdrawals — provided Arizona isn’t making sacrifices alone.

“I think we’ve made some progress on some of the key issues, perhaps including on an annual basis how much water would move from Lake Powell to Lake Mead,” he said.