Due to prolonged drought, overall snowfall and runoff into the Colorado River Basin are at all-time lows, resulting in the combined water storage in the river's two primary reservoirs—Lakes Powell and Mead—dropping to just 32 percent of capacity. The Secretary of the Interior recently announced the first-ever shortage declaration, reducing the availability of Colorado River supplies to Nevada in 2022. Projections indicate that Lake Mead water levels will continue to decline, and the likelihood of shortage remains high in future years.

Given current hydrologic conditions, water conservation remains a critical component of the Southern Nevada's water resource portfolio. While the community has significantly reduced per capita water demands, additional work is required to reduce consumptive use to meet current and future water demands in Southern Nevada.

Colby Pellegrino is the Deputy General Manager of Resources for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. She is responsible for the management of the Water Authority’s water resource portfolio, which includes protecting Nevada’s interests and rights to Colorado River water through interstate negotiations, developing regional water conservation programs, managing groundwater resources, and water resource planning. A native of Las Vegas, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and her Master of Business Administration from Mississippi State University.

Banner photo: https://www.snwa.com/