U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Releases a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Near-Term Operation of the Lower Colorado River Watershed
April 2024
California Land Use Law & Policy Reporter, Volume 33, Number 7
On March 5, 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) released a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover dams in the lower Colorado River watershed. The SEIS aims to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026 by updating the guidelines to account for the recent drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin. In addition to the SEIS, Reclamation announced three new System Conservation Implementation Agreements that will conserve 399,153 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026. These agreements and the SEIS will guide Reclamation’s water management in the lower Colorado River watershed until the end of 2026, when the current interim guidelines expire.
Subscribers to the California Land Use Law & Policy Reporter or the Environmental, Energy, & Climate Change Reporter can read the full legislative update here.