Bureau of Reclamation publishes revised draft Colorado River basin SEIS

The Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, D.C., published a revised draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement as part of an effort to update Colorado River water use guidelines to address usage and conservation in light of the ongoing drought and impacts from the climate crisis. 

The draft includes two key updates: the Lower Basin states’ proposal as an action alternative, as well as improved hydrology and more recent hydrologic data, according to a Reclamation press release.  

“The Colorado River Basin’s reservoirs, including its two largest storage reservoirs Lake Powell and Lake Mead, remain at historically low levels. Today’s advancement protects the system in the near-term while we continue to develop long-term, sustainable plans to combat the climate-driven realities facing the Basin,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “As we move forward in this process, supported by historic investments from the President’s Investing in America agenda, we are also working to ensure we have long-term tools and strategies in place to help guide the next era of the Colorado River Basin.”