The Colorado River Compact of 1922 was formally negotiated among the basin states (Figure 1) to define how much water from the Colorado River can be used by each state on an annual basis. In 2007, basin states negotiated interim guidelines to deal with Colorado River water shortages and determine the reductions for each state depending on the elevation of water in Lake Mead. Another series of agreements have included Colorado River water allocations to Mexico.
 
After more than 20 years of drought, reduced flows in the Colorado River are now resulting in some serious steps to arrest the decline of the major storage reservoirs, Lakes Powell and Mead. The Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) Authorization Act was agreed to by the lower basin states (Nevada, California, and Arizona) and signed into law on 16 April 2019.  Participation from Mexico was determined through a U.S. – Mexico agreement.  The DCP outlines a process, dependent upon triggers related to the water level in Lake Mead that is intended to protect the Colorado River system through voluntary reductions and increased conservation. Similarly, there is an Upper Basin DCP involving Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.  The lower basin DCP will extend through the end of 2026 and consists of increasing reductions in Colorado River use in Tiers 1, 2a, 2b, and 3 at Lake Mead elevation levels of 1,075; 1,050; 1,045; and 1,025 ft. above sea level, respectively.
 
With the water level in Lake Mead below 1,075 ft. above sea level, the Tier 1 water allocation reductions have been called into action by the Bureau of Reclamation beginning in January 2022.  
Arizona will suffer the biggest cuts because it agreed in the 1960s to take the lowest priority among the Lower Basin states.  According to the DCP, Tier 1 requires a 512,000 acre-foot (AF) reduction in Arizona’s 2.8M AF annual allocation.  This reduction is primarily being taken from the agricultural irrigation districts associated with the Central Arizona Project (CAP), primarily impacting agricultural areas in Pinal County.  It is important to note that urban/metropolitan and tribal water allocations are not reduced in Tier 1 conditions.
 
Even with the DCP reductions, there are still valid concerns regarding the rate of decline of Lakes Mead and Powell with a continuation of existing weather patterns.  As a result, representatives from Nevada, California, and Arizona have been working on an additional plan to provide further reductions of water use from the Colorado River with a goal of achieving an additional 500,000 AF to leave in Lake Mead.  This would serve to nearly double the conservation of Colorado River water and further reduce the rate of decline in Lake Mead.  For California, this would mean they will take water reductions prior to reaching DCP levels that would trigger their mandatory cuts.
 
This new proposal is being referred to as the “500+ Plan” and it would be entirely voluntary among entities in the lower basin states to participate.  It is estimated that $100M will be needed to implement this plan for further reductions in Colorado River water allocations from the three lower basin states.  For example, this plan would include payments to farmers for fallowing land to save water.  The water agencies from these three states are working to find the money to support this effort and Arizona has pledged $40M to support the plan.  California and Nevada have the plan under review for funding and additional funding could possibly come from the federal government to make this work.
 
In the past two decades, the flow of water in the Colorado River has declined nearly 20% below the 20th century average.  As a result, extractions from the Colorado River have exceeded inputs and in time this catches up with us.  These plans are important for everyone living in the desert Southwest with a dependence on the Colorado River.  Therefore, all steps to conserve this valuable source of water are critical.  In Arizona, approximately 70% of the water is diverted to agriculture and our efforts to provide good stewardship and management of our water resources are always important and increasingly so under these circumstances.
 
Reference:
Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan: Arizona Implementation. Central Arizona Project
https://library.cap-az.com/documents/departments/planning/colorado-river-programs/CAP-FactSheet-DCP.pdf

Figure1. The Colorado River watershed of seven western U.S. states and 2 Mexican states.  Source: USGS.

Hi, I’m Chris, and I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of extension associate for plant pathology through The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Yuma County. I recently earned my Ph.D. in plant pathology from Purdue University in Indiana where my research focused on soybean seedling disease caused by Fusarium and Pythium. There, I discovered and characterized some of the first genetic resources available for improving innate host resistance and genetic control to two major pathogens causing this disease in soybean across the Midwest.

I was originally born and raised in Phoenix, so coming back to Arizona and getting the chance to apply my education while helping the community I was shaped by is a dream come true. I have a passion for plant disease research, especially when it comes to exploring how plant-pathogen interactions and genetics can be used to develop practical, empirically based disease control strategies. Let’s face it, fungicide resistance continues to emerge, yesterday’s resistant varieties grow more vulnerable every season, and the battle against plant pathogens in our fields is ongoing. But I firmly believe that when the enemy evolves, so can we.

To that end I am proud to be establishing my research program in Yuma where I will remain dedicated to improving the agricultural community’s disease management options and tackling crop health challenges. I am based out of the Yuma Agricultural Center and will continue to run the plant health diagnostic clinic located there. 

Please drop off or send disease samples for diagnosis to:
Yuma Plant Health Clinic
6425 W 8th Street
Yuma, AZ 85364

If you are shipping samples, please remember to include the USDA APHIS permit for moving plant samples.

You can contact me at:
Email: cdetranaltes@arizona.edu
Cell: 602-689-7328
Office: 928-782-5879

In 2018, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yuma Agricultural Center and the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture hosted an Automated Thinning and Weeding Technologies Field Day. The event featured twelve equipment vendors and university researchers showcasing and demoing the latest automated ag technologies in the field. Company representatives were on hand to discuss the technologies and answer questions. Since then, there has been a tremendous amount of innovation and development in these technologies. Several start-up companies have introduced new machinery into the marketplace and the older technologies have advanced greatly. We haven’t set a firm date yet but are planning for mid-October. The event is open to all companies and researchers that would like to show their automated thinning and/or weeding technology. If you are interested in demoing your equipment or know someone that is, please contact me. Stay tuned! 

Fig. 1. Highlight video of 1^st Automated Thinning and Weeding Technologies Field Demo (2018).

Almost all the herbicides used on lettuce, cole crops and melons have restrictions on how soon wheat can be planted in rotation after they have been used. Experience has demonstrated, however, that safe intervals can vary considerably based upon many factors and are almost always much longer than they need to be. The most important factors are rate applied, irrigation practices and tillage. For example, when Kerb used to be banded at 2 to 4 lbs. per acre after planting and incorporated with furrow irrigation, it was common to see treated strips across wheat fields which followed. This is uncommon now that lower rates are Chemigated. We still see some Balan injury at ends of fields or in overlaps especially when sudan is planted. Wheat it not very sensitive to Prefar and carryover injury is uncommon.

This time of year, John would often highlight Lepidopteran pests in the field and remind us of the importance of rotating insecticide modes of action. With worm pressure present in local crops, it’s a good time to revisit resistance management practices and ensure we’re protecting the effectiveness of these tools for seasons to come. For detailed guidelines, see Insecticide Resistance Management for Beet Armyworm, Cabbage Looper, and Diamondback Moth in Desert Produce Crops .

VegIPM Update Vol. 16, Num. 20

Oct. 1, 2025

Results of pheromone and sticky trap catches below!!

Corn earworm:  CEW moth counts declined across all traps from last collection; average for this time of year.

Beet armyworm: BAW moth increased over the last two weeks; below average for this early produce season.

Cabbage looper: Cabbage looper counts increased in the last two collections; below average for mid-late September.

Diamondback moth: a few DBM moths were caught in the traps; consistent with previous years.

Whitefly:  Adult movement decreased in most locations over the last two weeks, about average for this time of year.

Thrips: Thrips adult activity increased over the last two collections, typical for late September.

Aphids: Aphid movement absent so far; anticipate activity to pick up when winds begin blowing from N-NW.

Leafminers: Adult activity increased over the last two weeks, about average for this time of year.