** Colorado River supply cuts set to hammer Arizona farmers
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Friday, August 13, 2021
Declining water levels in Lake Powell behind the Hoover Dam | Tony Webster ([link removed])

Drought continues to hammer the Southwest, particularly the Colorado River, which some 40 million Americans rely on for water. Now, farmers in Arizona are set to feel the sting of steep water supply cuts ([link removed]) . On Monday, the Bureau of Reclamation is expected to issue the official projection of water deliveries in 2022, with Arizona expected to lose roughly one-fifth of its Colorado River supply.

The sweeping cuts come as federal water managers enforce the Colorado River Compact, a multi-state agreement that includes automatic reductions when water levels reach critically low levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs on the river. “It’s such a significant river,” said ([link removed]) Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. “It used to be called the Nile of the West, which is almost impossible to believe these days.”

Many farmers have drastically altered their operations, leaving land unplanted, installing more efficient drip irrigation, and planting more drought-resistant crops. While these changes will help address some of the shortage, more farmers in Arizona will be forced to rely on groundwater, which is already overpumped. Decisionmakers in the state are seeking to diversify their water supply going forward, storing water underground, leasing water from Native American tribes, increasing recycling, and desalinating water from Mexico's Sea of Cortez.
Quick hits


** Nevada tribes, conservation groups call for protecting Spirit Mountain as national monument
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KTNV ([link removed])


** Wildland firefighters could get $20,000 raise from infrastructure bill
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CNN ([link removed])


** Explosive California wildfires could burn until winter, spur need to rethink fire suppression
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Redding Record Searchlight ([link removed]) | Reuters ([link removed]) | National Geographic ([link removed])


** Four Western states experienced hottest July on record
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The Hill ([link removed])


** Climate change is making the Rocky Mountains inhospitable to some small mammals
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5280 ([link removed])


** Hidden toll for Northwest heat waves: hundreds of extra deaths
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Frackers, shippers eye natural gas leaks as climate change concerns mount
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Wall Street Journal ([link removed]) | KUNC ([link removed])


** Industry claims about Biden's oil leasing pause fall flat
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Huffington Post ([link removed])
Quote of the day
Nevadans love their public lands. We view our lands as our natural heritage. We are home to some of the most visually stunning, biologically diverse and frankly culturally significant landscapes. We are super thrilled that this may become one of the new national monuments in our state.”
—Paul Selberg ([link removed]) , executive director of the Nevada Conservation League
Picture this


** @Interior ([link removed])
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Happy Birthday to @JoshuaTreeNPS ([link removed]) ! Made a national monument on Aug. 10th, 1936 and then designated a national park in 1994, this unique desert ecosystem is home to Dr. Suess-like trees, epic night skies, and one of the most stunning landscapes in the state of California.

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