Federal Government Allocates $65 Million to Southern California Water Cooperative

The U.S. government will provide up to $65 million to a prominent Southern California water cooperative to conserve Colorado River water in Lake Mead this year. This agreement aims to slow the reservoir’s decline and maintain hydropower at Hoover Dam.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s board approved this deal with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. They will pay Metropolitan $325 per acre-foot of Colorado River water retained in Lake Mead, up to 200,000 acre-feet by 2026. An acre-foot contains about 326,000 gallons, sufficient for three Southern California households.

This funding comes from the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, made possible by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Metropolitan emphasized that decades of investment in conservation, recycling, groundwater, storage, and diverse supplies facilitated this arrangement.

Metropolitan Board Chair Adán Ortega Jr. noted that Southern California’s long-term investments have strengthened the system, allowing the district to support the Colorado River during critical times. Since 1990, the district and its ratepayers have invested $1.7 billion in conservation, recycling, and groundwater recovery, generating over 8.8 million acre-feet of water.

“These investments have added resilience and stability to our water system,” Ortega said.

Metropolitan’s board also approved partnerships with the Quechan Tribe and Bard Water District. These agreements will enable Reclamation to fund up to 19,000 acre-feet of agricultural water conserved for Lake Mead annually in 2027 and 2028.

This agreement comes as Lake Mead confronts drought and low runoff from the Colorado River Basin. The reservoir is projected to soon reach its lowest level since its initial fill, following record-low snowpacks this year. Reclamation warned that long-term drought has reduced Colorado River system storage to about 36%.

The Colorado River supports water supply, hydropower, recreation, and habitats for seven U.S. states and parts of Mexico. About 35 to 40 million people depend on it for municipal water.

The Lake Mead agreement aims to preserve Hoover Dam’s power generation. Falling reservoir levels could cut power generation capacity by 70%, affecting electricity supply in the Southwest.

Metropolitan General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh emphasized that while these agreements offer vital short-term aid, lasting solutions demand long-term commitments from the seven Colorado River Basin states after 2026.

Metropolitan, a cooperative serving nearly 19 million people, encompasses Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties through 26 cities and water agencies.