The US is suffering from drought. HOUR water level in the Colorado River has fallen to a dangerous low, hitting an all-time low, and the federal government has announced new water withdrawal limits that states can enforce. Nevada and Arizona from the most important river of the southwestern United States. However, it seems that even more measures will be introduced in the future, mainly because the states have not fulfilled their obligations to drastically reduce water consumption.

The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people in the United States and Mexico, supporting billions of dollars of agricultural production throughout the region. But it, too, has fallen victim to the drought of the past 20 years, a situation that has worsened in recent years due to climate change.

In two huge river reservoirs, Lakes Mead and Powell, the water level has dropped to 28% of their total capacity due to a shortage of river flow and a significant increase in demand.

A dangerous drop in water levels has led to new restrictions on water extraction.

OUR water scarcity crisis nothing new. However, the problem escalated a year ago, prompting the federal government to take action. Officials, however, warn that the worst is yet to come, with 20 to 40 additional cuts required next year to protect reservoirs and the river dam. Engineers are warning that if water levels at the Glen Canyon Dam on Lake Powell continue to decline, hydroelectric power generation will eventually become impossible.

An indicator of the situation that has developed and prompted the introduction of new measures is the fact that in Lake Mead, a huge reservoir behind the Hoover Dam, on the border of Arizona and Nevada, the water level is 53.5 meters lower than in 2000.

However, for now, the water shutdown has mostly affected farmers in central Arizona, forcing them to set aside some land or switch to crops that don’t need much irrigation.

In addition, officials are particularly concerned about the possibility of being unable to produce hydroelectric power if Colorado’s water levels fall further. The loss of stable electricity from the Glen Canyon Dam will destabilize the power grid in the western United States.