Metropolitan Water District Funds Lake Mead Water Conservation

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California approved an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to maintain up to 200,000 acre-feet of Colorado River supplies in Lake Mead. The reservoir is currently at 28% capacity, and federal officials warned that failure to stabilize water levels could reduce hydropower generation at Hoover Dam by 70%, threatening electricity supplies across the Southwest.

Under the pact, the federal government will provide up to $65 million to the district, sourced from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act’s Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. The board also approved separate deals with the Quechan Tribe and Bard Water District to add up to 19,000 acre-feet of conserved agricultural water annually during 2027 and 2028.

District officials characterized these measures as temporary stopgaps. They noted that while the agreements provide near-term support, lasting stability depends on reaching a consensus among the seven Colorado River Basin states before current operational guidelines expire at the end of the year.