• System Conservation Implementation Agreement to conserve up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually.
• Agreement aims to protect Lake Mead amid ongoing drought.
• Public comment period on draft environmental assessment open until July 28th.

July 1, 2024 — The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the potential impacts of a proposed System Conservation Implementation Agreement between Reclamation and the Imperial Irrigation District (the District). The agreement, part of the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded in part by the Inflation Reduction Act, aims to encourage voluntary water conservation to protect the Colorado River’s reservoir storage levels in the face of persistent drought conditions.

As outlined in the draft EA, the District has proposed conserving up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually from 2024 to 2026. This conserved water would remain in Lake Mead, benefiting the entire Colorado River System and its users. The EA assesses the potential impacts of the proposed conservation measures, which would reduce water diversions from the Colorado River at Imperial Dam.

The Bureau is inviting public comments on the draft EA. The public comment period will close on July 28, 2024.

The draft environmental assessment is available at Lower Colorado Region | Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov).

Comments should be directed to Reclamation via email to prj-lcr-nepa@usbr.gov or to the mailing address below.

Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office
Attn: Resource Management Office Chief (LC-2000)
P.O. Box 61470
Boulder City, NV 89006

Mailed comments on this notice must be postmarked by July 27, 2024.  The public is advised that the entire comment – including personal identifying information – may be made publicly available.

For more information, please contact Mike Boyles at mboyles@usbr.gov.