Colorado River deadline may affect Northern California water supply

A Feb. 14 deadline asks seven Western states to agree on cuts to Colorado River use amid a multi-decade drought, and officials say the outcome could influence Northern California water transfers.

Seven Western states face a Feb. 14 deadline to reach an agreement on reducing diversions from the Colorado River. Officials report the river has been stressed by 26 years of drought and that reservoir levels have declined. Some states have resisted mandatory cuts and have favored voluntary measures, and representatives met recently in Washington to discuss conservation. Although Northern California does not draw water from the Colorado, water managers say the basin outcome could affect regional transfers and local farming. Key points: - A Feb. 14 deadline asks California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona to agree on reduced use of the Colorado River. - Officials say two-plus decades of low runoff have left the basin using more water annually than nature supplies. - Southern California takes about one-third of the river’s flow, much of it for Imperial Valley agriculture, while Northern California supplies roughly 30% of Southern California’s water through the Sacramento–Delta system. - Farmers report that when transfers increase in drought years they may leave land unplanted, with economic and ecological ripple effects locally. Summary: The immediate issue is whether basin states will accept reductions by the Feb. 14 deadline; officials warn the river’s long-term decline has created a supply shortfall. If states shift demand toward other sources, Northern California managers say transfers through the Delta could rise and farmers may face planting changes. Undetermined at this time.