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Project Motivation
Stretching across seven state and two countries, the Colorado River Basin supplies water for approximately 40 million people, irrigates 1.8 million acres of land, and is an important source of hydroelectricity, recreation tourism, and riparian habitat in the Southwest. Impounded behind Hoover Dam, Lake Mead serves as the main storage reservoir for Lower Basin states (California, Nevada and Arizona) and Mexico. The water level in Lake Mead has been steadily declining in recent years due to an imbalance in supply and demand for water in the Basin, which is compounded by persistent multi-year drought throughout the Southwest.
The Bureau of Reclamation's 2007 Interim Guidelines specify how shortages in the Colorado River Basin will be shared by Lower Basin states. The Interim Guidelines specifies water delivery curtailments to California, Nevada and Arizona at key elevations of 1,075’, 1,050’, and 1,025’. While the reductions in water deliveries to each state at each threshold elevation is well known, the vulnerability of each Lower Basin state to these shortages and additional ancillary impacts to other key Lower Basin stakeholders are not well known.
This Master’s thesis project strives to support Basin decision-makers by providing qualitative and quantitative frameworks on implications of low water levels for water supply vulnerability, hydropower generation, Lake Mead’s recreation industry, and the ecology of the Lower Colorado River corridor. Specifically, the project explores the impacts to each stakeholder group if Lake Mead reaches each key elevation outlined in the Interim Guidelines, as well as 1,000’.
Stretching across seven state and two countries, the Colorado River Basin supplies water for approximately 40 million people, irrigates 1.8 million acres of land, and is an important source of hydroelectricity, recreation tourism, and riparian habitat in the Southwest. Impounded behind Hoover Dam, Lake Mead serves as the main storage reservoir for Lower Basin states (California, Nevada and Arizona) and Mexico. The water level in Lake Mead has been steadily declining in recent years due to an imbalance in supply and demand for water in the Basin, which is compounded by persistent multi-year drought throughout the Southwest.
The Bureau of Reclamation's 2007 Interim Guidelines specify how shortages in the Colorado River Basin will be shared by Lower Basin states. The Interim Guidelines specifies water delivery curtailments to California, Nevada and Arizona at key elevations of 1,075’, 1,050’, and 1,025’. While the reductions in water deliveries to each state at each threshold elevation is well known, the vulnerability of each Lower Basin state to these shortages and additional ancillary impacts to other key Lower Basin stakeholders are not well known.
This Master’s thesis project strives to support Basin decision-makers by providing qualitative and quantitative frameworks on implications of low water levels for water supply vulnerability, hydropower generation, Lake Mead’s recreation industry, and the ecology of the Lower Colorado River corridor. Specifically, the project explores the impacts to each stakeholder group if Lake Mead reaches each key elevation outlined in the Interim Guidelines, as well as 1,000’.
Project Objectives
We examined physical and economic impacts to water deliveries, hydropower generation, recreation, and the environment as water levels in Lake Mead drop from a normal operating level to the key elevations identified in the Interim Guidelines: 1075’, 1050’, 1025’, and 1000’.
We examined physical and economic impacts to water deliveries, hydropower generation, recreation, and the environment as water levels in Lake Mead drop from a normal operating level to the key elevations identified in the Interim Guidelines: 1075’, 1050’, 1025’, and 1000’.
- What are the distributional effects to each state and sector of water delivery curtailments at each key elevation?
- What are the operational and financial implications of reduced reservoir levels on generation at Hoover Dam?
- What are the changes in recreational use at Lake Mead National Recreation Area?
- Are there other environmental impacts associated with declining reservoir levels?
Key Findings
Although attention is paid to the impacts of water deliver curtailments, there are substantial economic losses associated with changes to recreation and hydropower generation. Additionally, the reasons and magnitude of water supply vulnerability differs by state.
Although attention is paid to the impacts of water deliver curtailments, there are substantial economic losses associated with changes to recreation and hydropower generation. Additionally, the reasons and magnitude of water supply vulnerability differs by state.
- Curtailment of water deliveries is not the only predictor of vulnerability.
- Energy costs could roughly quintuple for hydropower contractors if Lake Mead reaches 1,000’. Contractors are contractually bound to continue purchasing Hoover hydropower, even though it will be a more costly option.
- Recreational visitation is predicted to be reduced by 50% if Lake Mead reaches 1,000’.
- The greatest ecological impacts to the Lower Colorado River corridor will be indirect.
Project Documents
For more detail on our project methods, results and conclusions please download the below documents.
For more detail on our project methods, results and conclusions please download the below documents.
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