Bureau of Reclamation releases finding of no significant impact for final environmental assessment for proposed water conservation agreement

BOULDER CITY, Nev. - The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a finding of no significant impact for a final environmental assessment of action proposed as part of a system conservation implementation agreement between Reclamation and the Imperial Irrigation District. The agreement is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and supports voluntary system conservation to protect Colorado River reservoir storage volumes amid persistent drought conditions driven by climate change.

Under the proposed temporary voluntary water conservation agreement, the Imperial Irrigation District proposes to conserve up to 300,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water annually from 2024 through 2026, up to a cumulative total of 700,000 acre-feet of water, which will remain in Lake Mead to benefit the Colorado River System and its users.

The environmental assessment considered potential impacts from actions taken to implement conservation, including water conservation programs under which agricultural water users conserve water, thereby reducing water diversions from the Colorado River at Imperial Dam.

The finding of no significant impact and final environmental assessment were prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available at Lower Colorado Region | Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov).

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits.