Drought Actions
Reclamation is taking a comprehensive approach to address the historic drought conditions impacting the 17 Western States. Recognizing that no single action or solution will adequately address the problem—Reclamation is supporting an across-the-board approach to address drought on multiple fronts. This includes collaboration with partners to develop new water supply and infrastructure projects, the development of new forecasting and modeling tools, a range of water management improvements—from software maximizing the amount of hydropower produced with available water supplies, to water reuse and recycling projects—new science, and long-term planning to develop innovative strategies to address hydrologic changes.
Reclamation's actions are categorized below. Click explore to see examples of projects that highlight how Reclamation's actions build resiliency to drought.
New Water Supplies
New water supply projects are an important aspect of an “all of the above” approach to drought, providing safe and adequate water supplies to communities reliant on supplies that may not be available during times of drought and underserved communities that have identified continuing needs into the future. This includes new storage projects where appropriate, and other infrastructure projects to build climate resiliency and reduce reliance on declining water sources. Reclamation has approximately 350 active construction activities underway, including new delivery systems and storage, dam safety projects, recreation rehabilitation activities, and other major replacements and repairs.
Reservoir Operations
Reservoir managers work to optimize water storage to meet designated needs, while maintaining enough space in the reservoir for flood control management. Historically, water control manuals have dictated the amount of reserved flood control space based on local, historical weather patterns that do not account for changing hydrological conditions. Now, advances in forecasting are providing a new opportunity for forecast-based reservoir operations, where conditions and infrastructure align. Reclamation is working to optimize reservoir operations to respond to drought through temporary operational adjustments within existing constraints in the short term, and through the use of forecast-informed reservoir operations in the longer term.
Hydropower Resiliency
Hydropower is crucial to stabilizing the interconnected electrical grid in the West and can rapidly respond to system emergencies. As the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, Reclamation supplies 40 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year on average. In order to maintain hydropower production during times of drought, it is critical to optimize the amount of power that can be produced with available water supplies. Reclamation’s hydropower optimization system (HydrOS) enhances Reclamation’s capabilities by improving power output efficiency while conserving water.
Conservation and Efficiency
Water conservation and efficiency projects are crucial to ensuring adequate water supplies during drought and are used by many western states to supplement or avoid the development of new water supplies. These projects support a wide range of water management activities, including lining or piping of canals, installation of advanced measuring devices, irrigation system automation, installation of residential water meters, and activities that reduce urban water use, and more.
Water Reuse
Water recycling projects can provide growing communities with new sources of clean water, increasing flexibility and diversifying the water supply. Reclamation has several funding opportunities that support water reuse and desalinization, including through the WaterSMART Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, the WaterSMART Desalination Construction Program, and the Desalination and Water Purification Program.
Diversify Supplies
Developing alternative water supplies is critical to build drought resiliency and adapt to climate change. Diversifying a water portfolio decreases vulnerabilities while increasing water supply reliability. Diverse water supplies enhance water management flexibilities that are critical during dry and drought periods. A diversified water portfolio will look different from region to region, but common diversification projects include pipes or interties that allow for water movement between neighboring districts or utilities to support voluntary transfers and exchanges. Other diversification tools include aquifer recharge facilities to support sustainable conjunctive use programs and water banking, stormwater capture, and other adaptive management practices.
Planning and Science
Planning for drought and developing science and tools to better understand drought risks helps Reclamation and water managers in the West build resilience in advance of drought and to manage water during drought. Severe droughts can last decades, like in the Colorado River Basin, where a historic drought has continued since 2000. Science development and long-term planning can help water managers understand how today’s droughts differ from the past, and anticipate increases in the severity, duration, and frequency of drought due to climate change.
Addressing Drought
Across the West