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LAS VEGAS — A top federal official plans to sign a sweeping interstate water-sharing agreement next week that could blunt the impact of drought on the Colorado River, officials said.
The document, to be signed Thursday by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, would extend until 2026 guidelines for determining surpluses and shortages of river water and for operating the key Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs during shortages like the drought that has gripped the region since 2001.
At the heart of the overall agreement are rules designed to protect minimum water levels in lakes Mead and Powell through the year 2026.
