An image of Lake Mead taken in March 2024. Photo by Dennis Davis, water resources specialist for the San Diego County Water Authority.

Though it occurred without much fanfare or media coverage, a significant milestone was reached on May 6 in the Colorado River’s near-term management when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) signed the Record of Decision (ROD) to guide river operations through 2026. Though an important step, it was exactly what was anticipated: Reclamation approved the plan submitted by the Lower Basin to conserve 3 million acre-feet (MAF) of water through 2026 to help the river. While the ROD simply confirmed Reclamation’s intent to implement the Lower Basin Plan when it identified the plan for near-term actions on the river as the preferred alternative in March, the significance of this latest milestone is worth a discussion.

First, a bit of background is in order (though many

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A file photo of an Imperial Valley field and canal. Under the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement, made possible largely through the conserved water transfer agreement between the Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego County Water Authority, hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water are conserved annually in a mutually beneficial way that supports agriculture and protects the environment.

This week, as Earth Day, a global event established in 1970 to promote environmental protection, was celebrated, it seems like a good time to discuss the efforts to sustain water resources, especially in the West along the Colorado River Basin. It is well known whether you are a water manager, grower, or someone living in the West, that we are in an extended period of drought brought about by climate change. While we’ve had a couple of good years thanks to Mother Nature, it doesn’t change the fact

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In this historical photo, crops are transported from a Vessey & Co. field near Holtville. The history of agriculture in the Imperial Valley is filled with stories of survival, hardship, family bonds and success. Photo Courtesy of Vessey & Co.

Recently, this blog writer had a chance to interview farmers in the Imperial Valley whose farming operations are 100 years old and, in some cases, even older—over 115 years old. It’s fascinating to listen to their family stories and hear the tales of grandparents and great-grandparents who chose to travel to the Valley by wagon when agriculture and ranching were just beginning in the region. Imagine the Imperial Valley in the early parts of the 1900s, at that time still an untamed frontier that offered the promise of land but a harsh environment in which to forge a new life. Yet, they still made their way to the

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