Winter rains gave us some relief from the state’s drought. That has brought some relief as well at Lake Mead, where certain water levels will trigger a reduction of Colorado River water deliveries to Central Arizona Project customers. The Tier 1 trigger, which is a 1,075 foot water level at Lake Mead, probably won’t be triggered anytime soon. However, there is a chance of the triggering of a new tier level, Tier Zero, which is the 1,090 foot level for the lake. There is a chance there will be a Tier Zero shortage next year, with a reduction of 192,000 acre feet of water deliveries. We talk with Chuck Cullom, the CAP Colorado River programs manager, about the situation.
