Read about California’s accomplishments in 2024 in the CRWUA Annual Report.
Here’s an excerpt:
California continued doing its part to help stabilize the Colorado River system in the immediate-term by leaving an estimated 500,000 acre-feet of conserved water in Lake Mead in 2024—boosting the reservoir’s level by 7 feet. When combined with the 700,000 acre- feet the state contributed in 2023, California has in just two years fulfilled 75 percent of its commitment to leave 1.6 million acre-feet in Lake Mead by 2026, a commitment made under the Lower Basin Plan for short-term Colorado River operations.
Much of that conserved water was made available through short-term agreements between California water agencies and the Bureau of Reclamation to federally fund fallowing and other water-saving efforts, under the Lower Colorado Conservation and Efficiency Program. The last three of California’s seven agreements with Reclamation were signed in 2024.