On May 9, 2023, the Glendale City Council approved an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to conserve Colorado River water in Lake Mead.

The city of Glendale will participate in the Lower Colorado River System Conservation Program, where up to 7,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water will be voluntarily conserved each year from now through 2025. In exchange, Glendale will receive $400 per acre-foot of water conserved to protect water levels in Lake Mead, resulting in a total of up to $2.8 million.  Good winter precipitation on the Salt and Verde Watersheds is providing excess water to allow Glendale to conserve this Colorado River water. These funds will support the city’s water infrastructure for additional drought preparedness measures.

The city has a diverse and robust potable water supply that includes surface water from the Colorado River via the Central Arizona Project (CAP), surface water from the Salt and Verde Rivers via the Salt River Project (SRP) and groundwater from both city and SRP wells. In 2022, Glendale’s water supply consisted of approximately 46% SRP supplies and 5% from groundwater, while the remaining 49% was served by Colorado River surface water.

This agreement does not hinder Glendale’s future orders of Colorado River water and demonstrates the city’s commitment to protecting the Colorado River system and reservoirs that provide water for 40 million people across the seven basin states and 30 tribal lands.