Hemenway Harbor on Lake Mead. February 5, 2023 (Photo: Duncan Phenix – KLAS)
Las Vegas (KLAS) — Understanding where the Colorado River water goes after Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam can be difficult to understand and is often misstated. Analyzing the numbers is essential when announcing water use projections for
According to the USBR, projected 2023 usage for the lower Colorado River basin is split into four: Nevada, Arizona, California, and Mexico.
The USBR predicts that California will only use 52% of the available water, Arizona 27.5%, Mexico 16.6%, and Nevada 2.6%. This is consistent with water usage in recent years.
California
In California, which uses more than half of its available water this year, the largest user will be the Imperial Irrigation District. This district alone is projected to use 11.5 times as much as Southern Nevada will use in 2023.
The USBR projects that the Imperial Irrigation District, Palo Verde Irrigation District, and Coachella Valley Water District (all primarily agricultural districts) will use just over 76% of California’s projected water in 2023.
Arizona
The largest projected use of Colorado River water in Arizona is Central Arizona ProjectThe water system supplies water to all of Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties, plus Phoenix and Tucson.
The Central Arizona Project is projected to use 48.2% of all river water flowing into the state in 2023. The next largest user is projected to be the Colorado River Indian Reservation in Arizona, followed by the Yuma County Water Users Association.
Nevada
The Las Vegas Valley dominates the water use of the Colorado River in Nevada.of Robert B. Griffith Water Project (formerly the Southern Nevada Water Project) is a water system managed by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). It uses more than 95% of the state’s allotted and projected river water.
Lake Mead Forecast for 2023
Current forecasts for Lake Mead levels through the end of September expect Lake Mead to drop nearly 20 feet below its current level. As of February 6, 2023, Lake Mead is 1,046.95 feet above sea level.
Lake Mead, which ended the year at 1,044.82 feet, will drop to 1,025.71 feet (a drop of 19.11 feet), according to the Hoover Dam operational plans included in the January 2023 24-month survey. By the end of December next year, the lake level is predicted to rise to 1,026.91 feet.
