Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Get in touch with us nowColorado River water allocation in the U.S., by state and basin
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The Colorado River provides water to seven U.S. states, as well as Mexico. In the U.S., the river is divided into two portions, the Upper and Lower basins. Each basin is allocated 7.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of water per year. Colorado is allocated the largest share of the upper basin, at 51.75 percent, or some 3.9 MAF per year. In the lower basin, California is allocated 4.4 MAF.
The Colorado River supplies water for agricultural purposes, electricity generation, as well as drinking water to millions of U.S. Americans. However, extreme drought and overuse are drying up the Colorado River and draining two of the U.S.'s largest reservoirs - Lake Mead and Lake Powell - which has led to several states being issued mandatory water cuts to save supplies.
The Colorado River supplies water for agricultural purposes, electricity generation, as well as drinking water to millions of U.S. Americans. However, extreme drought and overuse are drying up the Colorado River and draining two of the U.S.'s largest reservoirs - Lake Mead and Lake Powell - which has led to several states being issued mandatory water cuts to save supplies.
