The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and six water agencies from California, Nevada and Arizona have agreed to explore new ways of sharing water supplies across state lines through desalination, water recycling and other alternative sources. Officials said the effort could help improve long-term water reliability throughout the Colorado River Basin as drought and growing demand continue to strain the system.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant on June 1, opens the door for discussions about sharing water across state lines using existing infrastructure, offering a potential way to improve water reliability as supplies continue to tighten across the Colorado River Basin.
“This agreement brings partners together across state lines to explore desalination, water recycling, and new ways to move water where it’s needed most,” said BOR Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek. “We see this as another great opportunity to open doors to solutions that can strengthen the entire Colorado River Basin.”
According to BOR, the concept would allow agencies to move water “on paper” through exchanges and transfers using existing infrastructure.
The agreement does not approve any specific project or change existing water rights. Instead, it creates a framework for agencies to work together as they explore the legal, policy and operational issues involved in future interstate water exchanges.
Under the MOU, water agencies will explore the use of desalinated seawater and recycled water in pilot exchange programs and assess funding needs and potential environmental or operational concerns. They will also look at potential funding sources and strategies to reduce any negative impacts associated with future exchanges.
BOR officials said the timing is important as the Colorado River Basin continues to face severe water shortages. The agency said storage levels remain near historic lows at roughly 36% of capacity, and recent low snowpack and above-average temperatures have further stressed reservoirs and critical water infrastructure.
Building new supplies
Officials said the agreement is part of a larger shift toward finding new water sources that can supplement Colorado River supplies and provide greater flexibility in managing the basin’s long-term water needs.
The San Diego County Water Authority noted that decades of conservation and investments in diversified water supplies have positioned the region to contribute surplus desalinated water to other areas experiencing shortages. As the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant, the Carlsbad facility could play an important role in future interstate water exchanges being considered under the agreement.
“Next-generation strategies in the face of climate volatility must include interstate partnerships that deliver water where it’s needed most,” said Dan Denham, general manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. “New ideas are challenging to implement, but it’s in everyone’s best interest to make this work.”
Officials from Nevada and Arizona also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation as basin states prepare for future water management challenges.
“As Colorado River conditions grow more challenging, regional partnerships like this are an essential tool to help ensure sustainable water supplies,” said Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger.
Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said the agreement represents the type of innovation needed to help stabilize the Colorado River system over the long term.
“This is an important step in addressing the goal of augmenting the water supplies of the Colorado River by creating a mechanism to deliver those supplies through an exchange using existing infrastructure,” Buschatzke said.
While any future exchange program would require additional analysis and approvals, the agreement establishes a foundation for discussions that could eventually create the first formal mechanism for moving desalinated or purified water across state lines within the Colorado River Basin. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
