Fire crews take stand against destructive New Mexico blaze - By Cedar Attanasio And Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
With flames marching across wide swaths of northeastern New Mexico's tinder-dry forests, firefighters were taking a stand Wednesday in their fight against the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. to keep it from pushing any closer to the town of Las Vegas and other villages scattered along the fire's shifting fronts.
Like a game of chess, fire bosses were busy planning their next move and looking for spots where they could steal fuel ahead of the fire, starving it of more timber and brush.
Bulldozers for days have been scraping fire lines on the outskirts of Las Vegas, population about 13,000, while crews have been conducting burns to clear vegetation along the dozer lines. Airplanes and helicopters dropped more fire retardant as a second line of defense along ridge just west of town in preparation for the intense winds expected over the weekend.
Meanwhile, numerous fire engines and crews remained stationed Wednesday on the western edge of town.
Getting the right resources into the right areas when they can do the most good is the goal, fire officials said.
"And the chess board keeps getting bigger. That makes it even more complicated," fire information officer Andy Lyon said Wednesday, referencing a peak and ridge on the northern end of the fire that weren't factors just days ago. "So now that topography is part of our equation, part of the chess board."
The fire grew to 250 square miles, with containment stuck at 20% of its perimeter. In one area, the fire was about a mile away from Las Vegas on Wednesday, but the real concern were the gusts of 60 miles or more that were expected to sweep over the area during the weekend.
Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory were warily tracking another wildfire that crept Wednesday within nearly 5 miles of facilities at the U.S. national defense laboratory based in Los Alamos.
Fire crews worked to widen a road that stands between the fire and Los Alamos while clearing out underbrush and treating the area with fire retardant.
"Currently, we feel confident that our mitigation measures will protect Laboratory property," said Rich Nieto, the laboratory's wildland fire manager in a statement.
Wildfires have become a year-round threat in the drought-stricken West — moving faster and burning hotter than ever due to climate change, scientists and fire experts say. Fire officials also point to overgrown and unhealthy forested areas where built-up vegetation can worsen wildfire conditions.
Nationally, the National Interagency Fire Center reported Wednesday that a dozen uncontained large fires have burned about 436 square miles in five states, including New Mexico. More than 3,500 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fires burning across the country.
Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo has been trying to assure residents that crews were working tirelessly, and fire officials said Wednesday that they felt good about the lines built outside the city.
"People have not slept for weeks," Trujillo said. "We know strategically where those engines need to be, we know strategically where the fire retardant needs to go, we know strategically where they need to drop water."
While evacuations have yet to be ordered for the town, many residents are packed and ready to go and local school districts have canceled classes. An estimated 15,500 homes in outlying areas and in the valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that border the town have been affected by mandatory evacuations.
Martina Gonzales and her grandson watched Tuesday from their front yard as aircraft disappeared into a giant plume of smoke to fight the growing wildfire. Four-year-old Lukas yelled "airplane" every time one flew overhead in the effort to save Las Vegas, a commercial hub for the rural farming and ranching region.
Gonzales' car was packed with valuables in case an evacuation order came, but she was not sure where they would go.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has requested a presidential disaster declaration, which would bring financial help for recovery efforts. The tally of homes destroyed by the fire stands around 170, but the governor said that number would likely increase once the damage is surveyed.
On the northern flank of the big New Mexico fire, authorities said fire lines have kept the flames from reaching the towns of Cleveland and Mora.
The fire merged last week with another blaze sparked in early April when a prescribed fire set by land managers escaped containment. The cause of the other fire remains under investigation.
___
Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press writers Paul Davenport in Phoenix and Morgan Lee in Santa Fe contributed to this report.
New Mexico submits US disaster request for wildfire - Associated Press, KUNM News
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has asked President Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare a disaster in New Mexico as firefighters scramble to keep the largest blaze burning in the U.S. from destroying more homes.
The governor submitted a request for a presidential disaster declaration Wednesday. Such requests are usually made after a fire is out, but the governor says her office and state officials have worked to speed up the filing process in hopes of getting aid to New Mexicans sooner.
In a statement today, the governor’s office said the request is for both public assistance for governments and organizations, including direct aid and debris removal, as well as for individuals. Individual Assistance grants can be used for resources like food, housing, childcare, unemployment and counseling.
If the governor’s request is approved, FEMA staff will be sent to New Mexico to administer the programs, according to the statement. The agency will open an application process for individuals to submit claims for assistance.
About 15,500 homes have been evacuated and around 170 homes have been destroyed in the fire so far, but officials expect that number to grow.
NM reacts to leaked opinion showing SCOTUS is poised to end federal abortion rights protections - Marisa Demarco and Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico
Hundreds gathered in Downtown Albuquerque in front of the federal courthouse to demonstrate in favor of abortion rights on Tuesday night after it was leaked that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court justices are ready to strike down the constitutional right to abortion in the coming weeks.
Elected officials weighed in, too, with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham breaking from a stream of informational wildfire-related social media posts to express her commitment to reproductive healthcare. The decision, she wrote, would be “devastating” for New Mexicans.
The ramifications of this decision would be devastating for New Mexico women.
Today and every day, the action we’ve taken to protect and expand abortion rights in New Mexico is more important than ever.
Access to abortion is access to health care – and that won’t change here. https://t.co/RHoecFsUdS
— Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) May 3, 2022
Demonstrations were slated for Santa Fe and Las Cruces, too. If federal protections are destroyed, a patchwork of laws will blanket the U.S. as states determine on their own the legality of abortion.
New Mexico’s congressional representatives and senators also weighed in, with U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich writing “A woman has a right to make her own health care decisions without the government getting between her and her medical providers. That right shouldn’t depend on what state she lives in or how far she can afford to drive. But right now, that all hangs in the balance.”
His statement references recent changes to law in Arizona and Texas — and other parts of the U.S. — restricting access and sending people seeking abortions over state lines into N.M. for care.
Though so many expressed shock or panic nationwide, abortion fund organizers and advocates in New Mexico say they, too, are ready — to channel those feelings into action.
Staff at Bold Futures New Mexico were not surprised by the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s position, but it still stings, said Charlene Bencomo, the executive director there.
“Even though we anticipated it, it doesn’t take away the disappointment or the worry for people across the country who need access to abortion care for themselves or their loved ones,” Bencomo said. “There’s just a sadness and a fear for what’s to come — not just for the rest of my lifetime, but for our children.”
To Bencomo, the attack on abortion access feels like a rejection of her ability to make decisions about her own body.
“It feels like an overarching sort of doom that we have been anticipating,” Bencomo said. “That flood of emotion and fear has been washing over a lot of the folks even in our own staff.”
With disparate laws across the country already, the impacts are felt most by working families with low incomes. Even if someone seeking a legal abortion in another state can get beyond barriers related to child care and taking time off work, “there is still the stigma that comes along with it, the fear that comes along with it,” Bencomo said.
Jennifer Lim, a spokesperson for New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, wants to make one thing clear: Abortion remains legal today regardless of the leaked draft opinion.
Despite the justices’ disregard for people who need abortions, she said, that remains unchanged. A final ruling is expected to come down from the conservative-leaning Supreme Court within the next two months, but regardless, “people will continue to have abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned, and they will need even more support,” Lim said. “We ask for folks to follow the lead of local abortion funds and clinics, and Black and Indigenous leaders at the forefront, and uplift their work now more than ever.”
No matter the final ruling, the religioius coalition and other abortion funds in New Mexico will continue to provide practical support to everyone they can and “align our work with our values, rooted in faith and bodily autonomy for everyone,” Lim said.
“We will continue to work to make sure people get access to abortion care when they need it, on a timeline of their choosing, and in a community and environment they trust and feel safe in,” Lim said.
Rachael Lorenzo is the co-founder of Indigenous Women Rising, one of the few national abortion funds in the United States. They said while many characterize Roe as the epitome of abortion access, in reality, it is the bare minimum.
“It is the least that this country can do to protect abortion access,” said Lorenzo (Mescalero Apache / Laguna / Xicana). “For Indigenous people, this is not new. This is how a lot of abortion funds operate: We’re operating as if Roe doesn’t exist.”
Since as far back as 1492, Indigenous peoples’ reproductive abilities have been interrupted by colonization, Lorenzo said, and the latest from the Supreme Court is just a more nuanced version of what has been happening for five centuries.
“This is every day for us,” Lorenzo said. “Whether it’s Indigenous people, low-income Black people, poor white people, immigrants, we have all been saying we need access to this kind of care. And it matters every day, every year, not just when an election is happening or when the Supreme Court is up to shenanigans.”
Lorenzo said it’s a privilege for middle-class white people to say things like, “Well, why don’t you just move to a blue state?” or “We have to protect Roe!”
“It has already been dismantled in so many ways over the decades. What is so different?” Lorenzo asked. “We’re really excited that you are angry and that you wanna do something about it, but please look to the people who are already doing it.”
THE WORK AHEAD
In the face of laws to restrict abortions rolling out around the country at the state level, the U.S. House managed to pass an expansion of abortion rights in September. No Republicans voted in favor of the measure.
Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) walked a fine line this week, admonishing the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion while also affirming the sentiment and invoking religion. “The possible leak of a Supreme Court decision is an unprecedented attack on the independence of the court,” she tweeted. “But if SCOTUS indeed leans toward protecting Life, I hope you will join me in praying that they decide wisely.”
The possible leak of a Supreme Court decision is an unprecedented attack on the independence of the court. But if SCOTUS indeed leans toward protecting Life, I hope you will join me in praying that they decide wisely.
— Rep. Yvette Herrell (@RepHerrell) May 3, 2022
Senate Democrats on Tuesday promised a vote to protect the right to an abortion nationally by enshrining it in federal law.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján called on his colleagues to finally knock down barriers that have held up key pieces of legislation in Washington. “Congress cannot wait on the sidelines until it’s too late,” he said. “The Senate must eliminate the filibuster immediately to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and other vital pieces of legislation.”
Meanwhile, staff at Bold Futures New Mexico were “bombarded” by people asking what they can do at this moment, Bencomo said, before justices issue a final ruling, which is expected to happen in June.
The radical thing to do, Lorenzo said, would be to find out what is already happening in your backyard, so you don’t reinvent the wheel and you truly start building a coalition with others.
What’s at stake is not just abortion access for people who may find themselves with an unintended or unwanted pregnancy, Bencomo said. The anticipated ruling will almost certainly trigger more restrictions around abortion care, she added, and put in immediate jeopardy other fundamental rights like right marriage, contraception access and sexual privacy.
That holds with what legal experts are saying. The leaked ruling comes from Justice Samuel Alito, who contends, in part, that the right to an abortion is not explicitly outlined in the Constitution. If that’s what the Supreme Court’s final opinion hinges on, a whole range of other previously established rights could drain away, too, including “access to contraception, interracial marriage and gay marriage and sex,” report Jacob Fischler and Ariana Figueroa with States Newsroom.
People who need abortion care have also historically needed STI testing, gender-affirming care, hormonal care, infertility treatment and contraception access from highly trained providers, Bencomo said.
Unlike many other states that are set to criminalize abortion as soon as Roe is overturned, New Mexico permits abortion but does not actively protect it as a right.
New Mexico should do more, advocates said Tuesday.
Both Lorenzo and Bencomo point out that bodily autonomy is not just the narrow legal right to have an abortion, but involves all the other issues affecting peoples’ everyday lives.
“We cannot continue to live on the edge of one or two votes that hold our bodily autonomy in the balance,” Bencomo said. “We’ve got to do more to deepen the protections around abortion care.”
Bencomo points to legislation in Colorado and California that go beyond just allowing abortion care and truly build in protection for people who will need abortion care for years to come.
“I am so passionate about abortion access, and I love New Mexico,” Lorenzo said. “I love my land and my people and where I come from, and I I know that the more people we have helping us and the more people who trust in Indigenous leadership, the more fruitful our efforts will be to protect abortion access.
New Mexico governor seeking US disaster status for wildfire - By Cedar Attanasio And Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
New Mexico's governor on Tuesday asked President Joe Biden to declare a disaster as firefighters scrambled to clear brush, build fire lines and spray water to keep the largest blaze burning in the U.S. from destroying more homes in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
During a briefing on the fire burning across the state's northeast, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a request for a presidential disaster declaration that will be sent to the White House in hopes of freeing up financial assistance for recovery efforts. She said it was important that the declaration be made on the front end rather than waiting until the fire is out.
"I'm unwilling to wait," said Lujan Grisham, a first-term Democrat who is running for reelection. "I have families who don't know what the next day looks like, I have families who are trying to navigate their children and health care resources, figure out their livelihoods and they're in every single little community and it must feel to them like they are out there on their own."
In the small northeastern New Mexico city of Las Vegas, residents were already voicing concerns about grocery stores being closed as some people chose to leave ahead of the flames even though evacuations had not been ordered.
Fire managers told an evening briefing at the local community college that the spread slowed a bit on Tuesday, and put the amount of newly charred land up slightly, to about 231 square miles of mountainsides, towering ponderosa pines and meadows.
Officials have reported about 170 homes destroyed, about 15,500 homes under mandatory evacuation and said the state's psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas remained evacuated. Schools in the community canceled classes at least through Wednesday.
Dan Pearson, a U.S. Forest Service fire behavior analyst, called Tuesday "a brief reprieve from the extreme conditions we have been experiencing," but warned that winds are expected to increase and shift on Wednesday, pushing fire and smoke toward Las Vegas.
"Tomorrow, we're back to red-flag criteria," Pearson said, adding that forecasts called for better firefighting conditions on Thursday and Friday before winds increase and gusts whip to 50 mph or more during the weekend.
A battery of fire engines and their crews were busy Tuesday working to protect homes and other structures on the edge of Las Vegas while bulldozers cleared more fire lines on the outskirts. Air tanker and helicopter pilots took advantage of a break in the thick smoke and falling ash to drop fire retardant and water.
New Mexico was in the bull's eye for the nation's latest wave of hot, dry and windy weather. Forecasters also issued warnings for parts of Arizona and Colorado, and authorities in Texas urged people there to be careful after crews in that state had to respond to several new fires Monday.
Authorities in northeastern New Mexico said the flames were a couple of miles from Las Vegas, which serves as an economic hub for most of northeastern New Mexico and the ranching and farming families who have called the rural region home for generations. It's home to the United World College and New Mexico Highlands University.
The governor said during her briefing that the number of homes destroyed would likely go much higher given the ground that the fire has covered and the villages that it moved through over the past week.
San Miguel County officials said Tuesday they have been unable to get back into burned areas to continue assessments since conditions were too dangerous.
Wildfires have become a year-round threat in the drought-stricken West and they are moving faster and burning hotter than ever due to climate change, scientists and fire experts say. Fire officials also have said that many forested areas have become overgrown and unhealthy and that the buildup of vegetation can worsen wildfire conditions.
Nationally, the National Interagency Fire Center reported Tuesday that a dozen uncontained large fires have burned about 400 square miles in five states, including New Mexico. Nearly 3,500 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fires burning across the country.
On the northern flank of the big New Mexico fire, crews were trying to keep the flames from reaching the town of Mora as the winds shifted. Bulldozed fire lines were holding, but state officials urged those residents who have refused to leave the area to reconsider, saying it's a dangerous situation.
Northeast of Las Vegas, on the other side of an interstate, is the Zamora Ranch. Owner Kenny Zamora has opened up his corrals and stables for livestock refugees, including 160 cattle, 50 horses, 70 sheep, 10 goats and a couple of pigs.
José Griego and wife Casey Taylor brought 10 horses and a small donkey to the ranch. Each has its own story: One was a wedding gift to the couple. Another is Griego's go-to horse for rounding up cattle.
"Everything that's breathing is out, and that's what matters," said Taylor, who teaches science in a nearby community.
State livestock inspectors said green flags are flying at the entrances of ranches where livestock are left behind during evacuations so that responders know later.
The fire merged last week with another blaze that was sparked in early April when a prescribed fire set by land managers escaped containment. The cause of the other fire remains under investigation.
Lujan Grisham said Tuesday that the federal government bears some responsibility.
Another New Mexico wildfire burning through forested areas to the northeast has forced the evacuations of about 800 homes while charring 92 square miles.
A separate fire burning in the mountains near Los Alamos National Laboratory prompted the evacuation of about 200 homes. It has charred more than 39 square miles and destroyed at least three homes.
Residents wary as fire burns near northeast New Mexico town - By Cedar Attanasio And Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Martina Gonzales and her grandson watched from their front yard as aircraft disappeared into a giant plume of smoke to fight a growing wildfire that has burned hundreds of square miles, destroyed about 170 homes and threatens more destruction if weekend winds whip, as predicted, through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
"My grandson has actually, um, been a little bit scared, nervous," Gonzales said Tuesday — the day New Mexico's governor asked President Joe Biden to declare a disaster so federal aid can come for the largest blaze burning in the U.S.
"The smoke was really bad yesterday," Gonzales said as 4-year-old Lukas, despite his fear, yelled "airplane" every time one flew to the fight to save Las Vegas, their small farm and ranch community in northeastern New Mexico.
Gonzales' car is packed with valuables in case an evacuation order comes. But she said that if the entire regional hub of about 13,000 people has to flee, she's not sure where they'll go. The residential care home where she works as a pharmacist started moving elderly clients out on Monday.
Nearly 200 patients at the state psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas also evacuated Monday.
"We've been seeing a lot of fire trucks go up the street," Gonzales said. "And actually, the fire looks like it's right over this little mountain."
During a briefing on the wind-whipped fire burning through dry landscape, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed her request for a presidential disaster declaration and said she hoped it would bring financial help for recovery efforts. She called it important to seek the declaration now, rather than waiting until the fire is out.
Lujan Grisham, a first-term Democrat who is running for reelection, said Tuesday night that the number of homes under mandatory evacuation had jumped from 6,000 to about 15,500. The governor said the number of homes destroyed would likely go much higher.
"I have families who don't know what the next day looks like," she said. "I have families who are trying to navigate their children and health care resources, figure out their livelihoods and they're in every single little community and it must feel to them like they are out there on their own."
Fire managers offered assurances, explanations and warnings at an evening briefing at the local community college. They put the amount of newly charred land up slightly on Tuesday, to about 231 square miles , but said containment remained at just 20%.
Dan Pearson, a U.S. Forest Service fire behavior analyst, called the day "a brief reprieve from the extreme conditions we have been experiencing," but warned that dry winds are expected to increase and shift on Wednesday, pushing fire and smoke toward Las Vegas.
"Tomorrow, we're back to red-flag criteria," Pearson said, adding that forecasts called for better firefighting conditions Thursday and Friday before winds increase and gusts whip to 50 mph or more during the weekend.
"So, if I have one message out there: Please be super careful this weekend, more than you already are," he said.
San Miguel County Sheriff Chris Lopez said he has fielded calls from people worried about safety if the fire crests a ridge just west of Las Vegas. Schools in the community canceled classes at least through Wednesday.
"I can tell you, from my training and experience, town is very defendable," Lopez said. "As you go further into town, it becomes a lot more defensible. And you know, we're doing everything we can to prepare for that."
Fire engines and crews worked Tuesday on the edge of town, and bulldozers cleared more fire lines on the outskirts. Air tanker and helicopter pilots took advantage of a break in the thick smoke and falling ash to drop fire retardant and water.
Authorities said flames remain a couple of miles from Las Vegas, which is also home to the United World College and New Mexico Highlands University.
New Mexico has been swept by waves of hot, dry and windy weather across the Southwest. Forecasters have also issued warnings for parts of Arizona and Colorado, and authorities in Texas urged people there to be careful after several fires started on Monday.
Wildfires have become a year-round threat in the drought-stricken West — moving faster and burning hotter than ever due to climate change, scientists and fire experts say. Fire officials also point to overgrown and unhealthy forested areas where built-up vegetation can worsen wildfire conditions.
Nationally, the National Interagency Fire Center reported Tuesday that a dozen uncontained large fires have burned about 400 square miles in five states, including New Mexico. Nearly 3,500 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to fires burning across the country.
On the northern flank of the big New Mexico fire, crews were trying to keep the flames from reaching the towns of Cleveland and Mora as winds shifted, said Todd Abel, a fire operations section chief. Fire lines were holding, but state officials urged residents who have refused to leave evacuation areas to reconsider, calling conditions dangerous.
The fire merged last week with another blaze sparked in early April when a prescribed fire set by land managers escaped containment. The cause of the other fire remains under investigation.
Lujan Grisham said Tuesday that the federal government bears some responsibility.
Another New Mexico wildfire burning through forested areas to the northeast had forced the evacuations of about 800 homes while charring 92 square miles.
A separate fire burning in the mountains near Los Alamos National Laboratory prompted the evacuation of about 200 homes. It has charred more than 39 square miles and destroyed at least three homes.
Change trains: Mexico favors N. Mexico over Texas - By Mark Stevenson Associated Press
The Mexican government is snubbing Texas and moving a proposed border rail link to New Mexico after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott backed up border crossings with state inspections in April.
Mexican diplomats met Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and touted a rail line linking Mexican seaports on the Pacific with the San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa crossing in New Mexico, about 20 miles west of El Paso, Texas.
Mexico had considered a route through Texas, but in recent days officials have said they can no longer rely on that state. Abbott had required all commercial trucks from Mexico to undergo extra inspections, tying up traffic and causing millions in losses.
Roberto Velasco Álvarez, Mexico's director for North American affairs, wrote in his Twitter account about the meeting in Washington.
"There is a regional vision and management of migration, legal pathways and more development options, as well as advances in infrastructure with New Mexico that will allow us to develop immediate alternatives to commercial traffic that currently passes through Texas," Velasco Álvarez wrote.
Mexico's Economy Secretary Tatiana Clouthier was more forceful last week on the fate of a proposed rail line linking the Pacific coast port of Mazatlan in Mexico's Sinaloa state with the U.S. and Canada.
"There is a very important project that will hopefully be finished soon that will connect Sinaloa and, we used to say Texas, but I don't think we're going to use Texas anymore because we cannot put all our eggs in one basket and be held hostage to those who want to use trade as a political issue," Clouthier told a business conference.
"So we are going to look for another connection point because we cannot go through again what we went through a few weeks ago," she said.
Some truckers reported waiting more than 30 hours to cross during the state inspections. Others blocked one of the world's busiest trade bridges in protest.
Abbott, who is up for reelection in November and has made the border his top issue, fully lifted the inspections after reaching agreements with neighboring Mexican states that outline new commitments to border security.
But those Mexican states have little authority or manpower to intercept drugs or migrant smuggling — the two issues Abbott cited in implementing the inspections, though state officials found little of either — so the agreements were seen as a way of pressuring Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to act.
López Obrador, has described Abbott's actions as "vile." But Abbott hasn't backed down, and has said he is considering invoking defense powers by declaring that Texas is being "invaded."
On Monday, López Obrador brushed it off, saying, "Now that there are elections, some politicians in the United States are making accusations."
"But how are they going to talk about an invasion?" Lópz Obrador said, referring to the fact that Texas — like much of the rest of the U.S. Southwest — once belonged to Mexico.
Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mayorkas had expressed concerns regarding the scheduled May 23 lifting of Title 42, the pandemic-era health rule that denies migrants a chance to seek asylum.
"His perspective is just that there could be a problem with increased (migrant) flows, and for that reason we are going to work regionally" on the issue, Ebrard said.
Ebrard also said Mexico continued to argue for Cuba and Venezuela to attend the upcoming Summit of the Americas in June in Los Angeles. The Biden administration has suggested that Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are unlikely to be invited.
US to hold back Lake Powell water to protect hydropower - By Sam Metz Associated Press
U.S. officials announced what they called extraordinary steps on Tuesday to keep hundreds of billions of gallons of water stored in a reservoir on the Utah-Arizona line to prevent it from shrinking more amid prolonged drought and climate change.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plans to hold back about 480,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell to maintain Glen Canyon Dam's ability to produce hydropower for millions of homes and businesses in the region. That's roughly enough water to serve 1 million to 1.5 million average households annually.
Tanya Trujillo, the bureau's assistant secretary of water and science, said keeping the water stored in the reservoir would stave off hydropower concerns for at least 12 months, giving officials time to strategize for how to operate the dam at a lower water elevation. The lake currently holds less than one-fourth of its full capacity and the dam produces electricity for about 5 million customers in seven U.S. states.
"We have never taken this step before in the Colorado River basin, but conditions we see today and the potential risks we see on the horizon demand that we take prompt action," Trujillo said.
The decision will not have any immediate impacts on the amount of water allocated for the region's cities. And it won't affect farms that rely on the Colorado River, which already face mandatory cuts in central Arizona.
But it illustrates the compounding challenges facing Mexico and the seven U.S. states that rely on the Colorado River, which supplies water to about 40 million people and a $5 billion-a-year agricultural sector.
There is less water flowing through the river than is consumed by cities and farms throughout the region. And the water levels in the river's two primary storage reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have plummeted substantially over the past two decades — to such an extent that boaters found a decades-old dead body in a barrel exposed on Sunday.
The action announced Tuesday is one of several that have been taken to shore up Lake Powell. The Bureau of Reclamation has also ordered releases from other reservoirs upstream from Lake Powell, including 500,000 acre-feet of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Utah-Wyoming border announced last month. Releases from Flaming Gorge as well as Blue Mesa reservoir in Colorado and the Navajo reservoir in New Mexico were ordered last year.
Shoring up Lake Powell may allow water to continue flowing through the turbines at Glen Canyon Dam and keep its hydropower-generating capacity intact, but that's only one of several interests that officials are juggling in managing reservoir levels.
The decision injects uncertainty into the boating and recreation industries that rely on consistent reservoir levels to operate infrastructure like docks. And it forces officials to confront that without drastic conservation measures, demand for water in growing regions will likely come up against supply constraints in a hotter, drier future.
The Bureau of Reclamation announcement followed months of talks between upper basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — and their lower basin counterparts in Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico, which are already taking mandatory and voluntary cuts.
Federal officials first floated the proposal last month in a letter to the seven states, which responded with a joint letter in support of the move in which they asked the bureau to adjust water accounting and how it reports lake levels when deciding on future cuts.
The request centered on the fact that keeping water stored in Lake Powell will decrease the amount of water flowing downstream to Lake Mead, the Colorado River's other main storage reservoir.
In response to concerns that less for Lake Mead would require lower basin states to take additional cuts, the bureau agreed to act as if the water had flowed downstream in calculating Lake Mead's elevation. That compromise alters the implementation of agreements reached over the past 15 years triggering cuts to water users in the lower basin once Lake Mead falls to certain thresholds.
It means moving forward, U.S. officials will "credit" Lake Mead and act as if the water kept to preserve Lake Powell had been delivered downstream when deciding how to enforce agreements — effectively splintering the lake's actual levels from the levels used to determine cuts.
"We are going to account for the water as if it had been released. And we will do it in a way so that it will not trigger additional releases from the upper basin or additional layers of shortage in the lower basin," Trujillo said.