On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced changes to the way Colorado River water is doled out in the western United States, in response to the current “megadrought” being felt across the region. For the first time ever, DOI officials declared a “Tier 2a water shortage”, which requires Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico to reduce the amount of water they draw from Lake Mead starting at the beginning of next year. Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico will have to reduce water withdrawals; ; California, the largest water user on the river, is not required to make reductions at under the Tier 2a shortage condition.
