A worst-case water resources scenario will be avoided, at least in the short term, by Surprise and the rest of Arizona.
An abundant snowpack in the Colorado River basin this winter translated into a federal Bureau of Reclamation designation of a Tier I water shortage in mid-August. This will be in effect in 2024 for the states served by the river.
In this case, Tier I is preferable to Tier 2A, which the basin states are operating under this year. This year’s designation caused Arizona to receive a 592,000 acre-foot reduction in its Colorado River supply, while Tier I status means a 512,000 acre-foot reduction.
