First-ever water shortage declared for Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir

Federal officials have declared a shortage in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country, amid a historic decadeslong megadrought in the region.

Federal officials have declared a shortage in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country that serves tens of millions of residents in the West and northern Mexico, amid a historic decadeslong "megadrought" in the region. The Bureau of Reclamation announced the first-ever water shortage for the lower Colorado River basin on Monday, which will prompt a reduction in water releases to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in 2022 to make sure there is enough water in the reservoir to keep generating power and provide water for essential uses. Lake Mead will be under a Tier 1 shortage, meaning that starting next year, Arizona will receive about 18% less water from the Colorado River than in a typical year. Nevada's water allowance will be reduced by about 7%, and Mexico's by about 5%, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. States, local agencies, tribes and water users will negotiate which users see the most reductions. In Arizona, for example, farmers will bear the brunt of the reductions, while cities and one tribe will see small reductions under the state's drought contingency plan, though some have also made voluntary efforts to reduce water use.