This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
are showing the next generation of those adaptation measures.” Cohen with the Pacific Institute said


Nevada is well-positioned to weather potential turmoil. “Despite the concern in Nevada about a shortage and their projections of increased demand, they are still well below their annual normal year entitle- ment,” he said. “Tey have shown quite well they are able to adapt: their per capita demand has gone way down and they’ve maintained that for almost a decade now.” Additional water conservation oppor- tunities exist in agriculture and “quite a bit” in the municipal sector throughout the Lower Basin, Cohen said, adding there’s potential for 1 million acre-feet from water recycling. Meanwhile, in the Upper Basin, Ostler noted there is the potential for


more water to be put to beneficial use. “Te Upper Basin has not been devel- oped to the extent that the Lower Basin has,” he said. “Tey are pretty maxed- out Compact-wise. Te Upper Basin has developed more slowly; not even to the Compact amount or the amount deter- mined to be the hydrologic safe yield for the river so I expect there will be some additional development, even given the drought conditions that we see.” It seems a shortage on the Colorado


River is inevitable, leading to the ques- tion of how prepared water users are for the impacts of reduced deliveries. Te Drought Contingency Proposal repre- sents a step in that process. Its possible adoption and what follows in the years to come will test how resilient the Lower Basin can be. •


Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in October 2012.


Summer 2016 • River Report • Colorado River Project • 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11