Facing demands from the federal government, California water agencies offered Wednesday to cut back the amount of water they import from the Colorado River starting in 2023.
After months of negotiations, water agencies wrote to federal agencies offering to reduce California’s water use by 400,000 acre-feet every year through 2026. That amounts to 9% of the river’s water that California is entitled to under its senior rights.
Most of California’s Colorado River water goes to the Imperial Irrigation District, serving nearly half a million acres of farmland in the southeast corner of the state.
The district offered to cut 250,000 acre-feet, although its offer is contingent on federal funding and the voluntary participation of their water users.
Other recipients are the Metropolitan Water District, which imports water for 19 million people in Southern California, the Coachella Valley Water District and the Palo Verde Irrigation District, which all signed on to today’s letter.
