By Thys Reynolds
On Aug. 21, the Bureau of Reclamation announced a new short-term plan for water management in the Colorado River Basin.
The Upper Basin, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah, will reduce water consumption by 200,000 acre-feet per year over the next two years. That’s enough to supply roughly 600,000 American households annually.
How might the Upper Basin states substantially reduce water usage?
A promising way to save water may come in the form of agricultural water leasing, which is the focus of Utah’s Demand Management Pilot Program.
The state paid $4 million over the last two years to lease 20,000 acre-feet of water from farmers in the Colorado River Basin region of Eastern Utah.
Scott Thayn is a farmer in Carbon County and one of around 25 who participated in the program across both seasons.
“It's freed up time and money for me to do improvements on my farm," Thayn said, "and that wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the funding that we got through this program."
Marc Stilson is the principal engineer at the Colorado River Authority of Utah. He said that the scope of the program is simple and the achievements speak for themselves.
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