17 Jul Southern California Approves Plan to Keep Enough Water in Lake Mead for 600,000 Homes
Posted at 10:09h
in News
Pasadena Now (7/17/2026)
As Lake Mead nears another historic low, Southern California water officials approved an agreement Tuesday to leave enough Colorado River water in the reservoir to supply about 600,000 homes, calling it a critical step in protecting the Southwest’s water future.
The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that will pay the agency up to $65 million to leave as much as 200,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water in Lake Mead through the end of the year.
Metropolitan supplies imported water to agencies serving nearly 19 million people across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.