The Guardian. (2022, August 16). US issues western water cuts as drought leaves Colorado River near ‘tipping point’. Retrieved August 28, 2022 from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/16/drastic-water-cuts-expected-as-megadrought-grips-western-us-states

 

For years humans have used more and more water from the Colorado River, depleting water levels in its reservoirs. Although the federal government has encouraged Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico to decrease their water usage, only in the last two years have they enforced mandatory cuts on water usage because of threats to water delivery and hydroelectric power generation. Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two of the largest reservoirs in the country, have  been at dangerously low levels that, if they got any lower, could stop power generation and water delivery. Although the federal government also imposed cuts last year, the drought has continued, and the cuts on water usage have increased further this year. If the cuts continue not to work as much as needed, deeper cuts or cuts that affect more states, including California, could be enforced. 

 

I think that it’s necessary for the western United States and Mexico to use less water, and I agree with the government that water cuts are probably a necessary solution. However if the drought continues I worry how deeper cuts could affect the farmers and other people living in these places. The article mentioned that the government has been paying farmers to keep their fields fallow, which seems like a good strategy for compensating farmers in the short term for their financial loss. Hopefully as time goes on we will be able to develop and put into practice strategies that do the least amount of damage to the most vulnerable among us while still reducing water usage.