U.S. government water managers say a vital reservoir on the Colorado River will be able to meet the demands of Mexico and Southwestern U.S. states for the next 13 months, but a looming shortage could trigger cutbacks in late 2019.
The Bureau of Reclamation released a report Wednesday on the health of the river and its biggest reservoir, Lake Mead.
The report echoes previous warnings that a long trend toward a drier regional climate coupled with rising demand could drain so much water from Lake Mead that cutbacks would be mandatory.
Mexico, Arizona and Nevada would be hit first.
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The river serves 40 million people and 6,300 square miles (16,300 square kilometers) of farmland.
California, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah also rely on the river.
