Water levels at the largest reservoir on the Colorado River — Lake Mead — have fallen to record lows. Water stored in Lake Mead and Lake Powell is divvied up through legal agreements among the seven Colorado River basin states, the federal government, Mexico and others. Under a 2019 drought contingency plan, Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico agreed to give up shares of their water to maintain water levels at Lake Mead. Still, water cuts make it harder to plan for the future. Water levels at the reservoir have been falling since 1999 due to the dry spell enveloping the West and increased water demand.

Source: CBC News August 17, 2021 12:09 UTC