Drought conditions could trigger the first water shortage declaration in the Southwest
Drought conditions and rising temperatures have caused water reservoirs in the West to fall to historic lows. Now, new projections from the Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that oversees water management, indicate that the region may enter its first official shortage this summer. Lake Mead, a reservoir that serves multiple states in the Southwest, is projected to fall under the shortage threshold this June, which will in turn trigger mandatory water cuts in Arizona and Nevada. Not only would that jeopardize a crucial resource, which the region’s residents and farmers depend on heavily, but a water shortage could also affect the Hoover Dam’s capacity to generate electricity via the Colorado River. The Associated Press has more.
