Colorado's drought woes extend beyond the Rocky Mountains, as snowmelt contributes to water levels in Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border. The lake, in turn, delivers flow to generate hydroelectric power for several states. 

Now, expired conservation agreements are poised to worsen an already troublesome scenario, according to The Colorado Sun. 

What's happening?

Colorado has experienced a string of severe droughts since 2000, with more expected. And 93% of the Western U.S. sites measured for snowpack volume from 1955 to 2022 have declined as average temperatures have increased, according to officials. A robust snowpack is vital to fresh water supplies, crop growth, and energy production.

The Sun interviewed state water resources specialist Michelle Garrison, who has noticed the declining snowpack and has been telling policymakers about the repercussions. She is particularly concerned about the Dec. 31 expiration of a four-state deal — among Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico — to conserve water. 

The Drought Response Operations Agreement was listed in a congressional report with a group of measures designed to conserve Colorado River Basin water but that will sunset. 

"It makes me think that this year is going to be a real challenge," Garrison told the Sun. "Things are looking exceedingly grim."

Why is conservation important?

If droughts persist in Colorado, the repercussions will extend south to the Mexico border. The Colorado River feeds Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam — which forms Lake Powell — where 5 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectricity are produced annually for five million customers in six states, according to the federal Bureau of Reclamation. 

DROA was designed to keep Lake Powell's water levels sustainable. However, the lake's levels are widely reported to be dropping and are now around 27% of its capacity, per Fox 13 News in Utah. 

"We're always just a couple dry years away from tipping into crisis mode," Bureau of Reclamation senior water resource program manager Carly Jerla told the station late last year. 

Energy disruptions at key generation sites would be disastrous for the already strained American power grid. Goldman Sachs estimated that data center power demand will surge 175% by 2030. This comes as electricity rates are reported to be rising twice as fast as inflation. 

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"It's going to be hard," Garrison said about managing water supplies amid droughts. 

What's being done to help?

Garrison is among watchdogs raising alarm about depleting water levels. And for its part, the Bureau of Reclamation acknowledged in a Jan. 9 news release that operating agreements have expired. The statement said that officials are "evaluating a range of operational alternatives."

"The Department of the Interior is moving forward with this process to ensure environmental compliance is in place," Andrea Travnicek, assistant secretary of water and science, said. "The river and the 40 million people who depend on it cannot wait. In the face of an ongoing severe drought, inaction is not an option." 

Officials hope to have a decision on operations in place by Oct. 1. 

Staying informed about issues impacting water supplies can help you make smart decisions about policies and lawmakers who are working toward solutions. 

Taking simple steps at home to conserve water is also an easy way to help.

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