Alex Hager
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Rain in California and deep snow in the Rocky Mountains have brought temporary relief to drought-stricken states in the West. But water managers say the long-term water supply picture remains bleak.
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The two largest reservoirs in the U.S., Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at low levels and electricity generation is at risk. The federal government cut water deliveries and wants states to cut more.
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As drought and steady demand shrink the Colorado River and Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam faces an existential threat. It's a rare example of the Southwest's water crisis made visible.
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Big cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas that rely on the Colorado River have money to find water elsewhere. But an Arizona town on the shore of Lake Powell is also struggling with its water supply.
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Colorado cities competed to see which has the best-tasting tap water. KUNC's Alex Hager was invited to judge, but found that it's hard to pick up on "grassy, earthy and rubbery" flavors in a famously bland beverage.
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The Bureau of Reclamation filed a Notice of Intent to propose changes to the amount of water released from Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
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The Department of the Interior designated $4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act for drought mitigation in the Colorado River basin.
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Water agencies in Southern California have agreed to cut back 400,000 acre-feet each year for four years. The deal between agencies supplying cities and farms comes amid federal pressure to reduce use of the shrinking river.
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California is going to take 9% less water from the Colorado River at the request of the federal government, to keep Lake Mead from falling below the level necessary to generate hydropower.
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Las Vegas is prepared to pay Southern California $750 million to drink water recycled from sewage. It's because of the southwestern megadrought.