On October 25, the Biden-Harris administration announced next steps in its efforts to protect the sustainability of the Colorado River System and strengthen water security in the West. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a revised draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) as part of ongoing efforts to update the current interim operating guidelines for the near-term operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams.
Reclamation’s updated modeling analyses using June 2023 hydrology indicated that the risk of reaching critical elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead has been reduced substantially — to 8% at Lake Powell and 4% at Lake Mead through 2026. This change reflects the commitment to conservation in the Basin and recent hydrology; however, these reservoirs remain historically low, and conservation measures such as those outlined by the Lower Division proposal are still necessary to protect the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River System. Based on the modeling results, Reclamation will continue the SEIS process with detailed consideration of the No Action Alternative and the Lower Division Proposal. Alternatives 1 and 2 from the initial SEIS were considered but eliminated from detailed analysis.