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If you have questions or want to schedule an interview with Commissioner Gene Shawcroft or other Authority staff, please contact Marty Carpenter at 801-971-3601 or .
Latest News
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August 25, 2021
CRAU will discuss millennium drought’s impact on Utah at next public meeting
SALT LAKE CITY – The Colorado River Authority of Utah (CRAU) has invited the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to share a critical status update at the Authority’s board meeting next ...
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September 29, 2021
ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) – Water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead are lower than they’ve been since they were built, according to leaders from the Colorado River Authority of Utah. As 1/3 of Utahns rely on the Colorado River for drinking water, officials say they need residents to conserve water now more than ever.
The Colorado River, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead are all connected and extremely low on water. Lake Powell alone is 50 feet lower than it was last year, according to Gene Shawcroft, ...
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November 16, 2021
The House passed the highly anticipated $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill late Friday, a sweeping package that will likely impact all 50 states in some way. The legislation, which the Senate approved in August, now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.
The package, which includes $550 billion in new spending, is aimed at improving the country’s roads, bridges, railways, water systems and broadband internet. In the West, the bill is being touted as a multipronged approach to tackling issues ...
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July 19, 2022
For immediate release Marty Carpenter 801.971.3601
Utah, three sister states present plan to meet federal demand for cuts
SALT LAKE CITY (July 19, 2022) — As federal officials call for significant cuts to Colorado River water use in order to protect Lake Powell, Utah and its sister Upper Division States of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming have crafted a five-point plan of action while noting that its effectiveness is dependent on significant actions downstream of the ...
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August 18, 2022
August 16, 2022
Statement from Gene Shawcroft:
"Today's release from the Bureau of Reclamation confirms the hydrology is getting worse, the forecasts are grim, and we are looking at mandatory shortages in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in 2023.
"While it is disappointing the Lower Basin missed the federal deadline to reduce 2-4 MAF to protect critical reservoir elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, I remain optimistic the collective Basin states can still come together on a collaborative plan ...
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August 16, 2021
For the first time, some users of Colorado River water will not get their promised deliveries after a shortage was officially declared in response to drought-depleted flows on the over-allocated river that furnishes water to 35 million Westerners.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Monday announced the cuts totaling 613,000 acre-feet, which will be borne mostly by Arizona growers, citing actions mandated in the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan crafted by Utah and six other Western states that rely ...
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July 30, 2021
The future of Utah’s relationship with the Colorado River began to take shape in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday, as the newly created Colorado River Authority of Utah held its first ...
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July 4, 2021
SALT LAKE CITY — Amy Haas has worked on Colorado River issues for most of her career.
But she's quick to claim she's not an expert. With rapidly changing conditions on the river due to drought, no one is, Haas ...
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June 29, 2021
The Colorado River Authority of Utah has hired Amy Haas as its first executive director. Haas is currently the director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, which oversees water use in the river’s upper ...
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June 29, 2021
This appointment positions Utah well with fellow Colorado River Compact states
SALT LAKE CITY – The Colorado River Authority of Utah (CRAU) announced the critical hiring of longtime Colorado River expert Amy I. Haas as its first Executive Director. ...