On Tuesday, 15 August 2023 officials from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) presented their 24-Month study reports with projections and operational plans for 2024 (USBR, 15 August 2023). We are still dealing with the drought but there is some improvement in the 2024 plans for Colorado River water allocations for Arizona.
The wet winter and spring experienced in the Southwest in 2023 has provided some relief on the dire situation we were facing on the Colorado River system and reservoir levels have improved. But unfortunately, one good precipitation season does not solve all the problems and they will still need to be dealt with.
The current plan for lower Colorado River water management is basically a return to the Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) Tier 1 schedule (Figure 1).
Fgure 1. Drought Contingency Plan Tier reductions for Arizona.
Tier 1 plans take us back to an 18% reduction or 512,000 acre-feet (KAF) of Arizona’s Colorado River allocation of 2.8 million acre-feet (MAF). Arizona was operating under Tier 1 guidelines in 2022.
The irrigation districts in central Arizona that have lost access to Central Arizona Project (CAP) water will not be receiving any additional water in 2024 based on this plan. The districts immediately adjacent to the mainstem of the Colorado River will continue to receive the same amount of water as they have been receiving the past two years. For Arizona and the other lower basin states, these are basically the same water allocation guidelines that were in place in 2022.
The urban areas and American Indian tribes will not experience any additional reductions based on the USBR plans. However, some cities and tribes have volunteered to reduce their Colorado River water allocations in exchange for payments from the federal government.
For example, in 2023 Arizona, California, and Nevada agreed to a plan that will conserve an additional 3 MAF of Colorado River water through 2026 in exchange for $1.2 billion from the federal government. If approved by the USBR, this plan would reduce Colorado River allocations to the Imperial Irrigation District in California, which has some of the most senior water rights on the river.
The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), which has a Colorado River allocation of 653 KAF, committed in April 2023 to relinquish temporarily 125 KAF in exchange for $400 per AF from the federal government. The federal government is also funding GRIC infrastructure projects to increase wastewater reuse in irrigation.
Thus, some of the Colorado River water that is technically allocated to Arizona under Tier 1 guidelines will stay in Lake Mead due to previously agreed upon conservation measures.
Regarding other lower basin states and the current USBR plan, Nevada will have slightly more Colorado River water in 2024 than in 2023. Mexico will deal with a 5% reduction in Colorado River water from their base and once again California will not be suffering any required cuts in their Colorado River water allocation.
Overall, this is good news. We have some temporary relief on the Colorado River system and no additional reductions will be required in 2024. This puts the seven Colorado River basin states and Mexico in a better position to negotiate the guidelines and agreements required for 2026 since all the existing agreements expire in two years.
Reference
USBR, 15 August 2023. 24-Month Study reports.
August 2023 Lake Powell and Lake Mead: End of Month Elevation Charts
I hope you are frolicking in the fields of wildflowers picking the prettiest bugs.
I was scheduled to interview for plant pathologist position at Yuma on October 18, 2019. Few weeks before that date, I emailed Dr. Palumbo asking about the agriculture system in Yuma and what will be expected of me. He sent me every information that one can think of, which at the time I thought oh how nice!
When I started the position here and saw how much he does and how much busy he stays, I was eternally grateful of the time he took to provide me all the information, especially to someone he did not know at all.
Fast forward to first month at my job someone told me that the community wants me to be the Palumbo of Plant Pathology and I remember thinking what a big thing to ask..
He was my next-door mentor, and I would stop by with questions all the time especially after passing of my predecessor Dr. Matheron. Dr. Palumbo was always there to answer any question, gave me that little boost I needed, a little courage to write that email I needed to write, a rigid answer to stand my ground if needed. And not to mention the plant diagnosis. When the submitted samples did not look like a pathogen, taking samples to his office where he would look for insects with his little handheld lenses was one of my favorite times.
I also got to work with him in couple of projects, and he would tell me “call me John”. Uhh no, that was never going to happen.. until my last interaction with him, I would fluster when I talked to him, I would get nervous to have one of my idols listening to ME? Most times, I would forget what I was going to ask but at the same time be incredibly flabbergasted by the fact that I get to work next to this legend of a man, and get his opinions about pest management. Though I really did not like giving talks after him, as honestly, I would have nothing to offer after he has talked. Every time he waved at me in a meeting, I would blush and keep smiling for minutes, and I always knew I will forever be a fangirl..
Until we meet again.
The Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association recently published a video about vegetable crop production in Yuma, AZ. The video is comprehensive, covering everything from Yuma’s ag beginnings, to details on current cultivation practices, to the uniqueness and importance of the region to our national food security. The story is a good one and very well told. Even if you’re well versed in Yuma agriculture, I think you’ll find the piece interesting and informative.
Check it out by clicking here or on the image below.
Fig. 1. Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association’s “Yuma – The Winter Salad Bowl” video. (Photo Credit: Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association)
Growers and PCAs asked about the potential injury that can be caused by a mix of RoNeet (Cycloate) with Dual Magnum (S-Metholachlor) to spinach. We did a small evaluation including the treatments suggested by our friends to collect data. A 1.33pt rate for Dual M and 4.0 pt of RoNeet was sprayed for this trial. The lower Dual M recommended rate by the SLN for AZ in 2017 of 0.33 - 0.67 pt per acre was not included in the trial1. Here’s the treatment list:
Plots consisted of two rows 30ft long replicated four times with 10 seed lines, and the test was established in a randomized complete block design with four replications. All treatments were applied preemergence. A CO2 backpack with a 4 flat fan nozzle boom spaced at 20” was used delivering 20 gallons/acre.
Planting was done on Nov 17, 2022, then the next day the treatments were applied and incorporated immediately with sprinkler irrigation. Crop injury was evaluated on December 13, 21 and 27. The combination of RoNeet plus S-Metolachlor at the rates above mentioned presented the highest phytotoxicity symptoms in the form of chlorosis, stunting, and reduced stand. Also, Dual Magnum alone at the rate of 1.33 pt/a presented injury in lower proportion compared to the combination with RoNeet. In this evaluation the 4pt/a rate of RoNeet did not present injury to the spinach as you can see comparing with the untreated plots below. Weed control data was not collected due to inconsistent and low populations. Only phytotoxicity was evaluated.
The most representative images of the plots are below:
Figure 1. Preemergence herbicide injury evaluation on spinach
