Tucson agrees to conserve some of its share of Colorado River water

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - The city of Tucson announced Tuesday, Sept. 20, that it will conserve a portion of its share of water from the Colorado River.

City officials signed an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (Central Arizona Project) to leave up to 30,000 acre-feet of its 2022 allocation in Lake Mead.

“We put our water on the table and invited others to join us,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “We continue to call on others to step up and do their part to contribute to urgent Colorado River solutions we all need.”

The Bureau of Reclamation will compensate the city approximately $260 per acre-foot of water left in the lake, as part of multistate efforts to conserve water in Lake Mead.

The exact amount the city will leave in Lake Mead will be finalized in the coming weeks, as Tucson Water and CAP complete and verify related water accounting for 2022.