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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

More Official Confirmation of the Drought

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Friday, August 16, 2013   

SALT LAKE CITY – It's another sign of trouble for water users in the West and Southwest, including Utah.

The Bureau of Reclamation's new forecast comes out today and includes a warning that it will reduce the amount of water released from Lake Powell to the lower Basin states starting in October – the first time that's been recommended in 50 years.

At Western Resource Advocates, Water Program Director Bart Miller says if people aren't convinced of the need to start saving more water, this should do it.

"We have some sense of urgency now that we need to move forward and implement these conservation measures,” he says, “both in cities and on farms, and make better use of our existing supplies through recycling them – and to come up with some really overarching management schemes. So, it's a really important time."

On Utah's southern border, Lake Powell is one of the biggest storage reservoirs in the nation and a water source for Glen Canyon Dam, which produces electricity for more than a million people.

U.S. government officials say in June, only 35 percent of the water that usually flows into the reservoir arrived – and in July, just 13 percent.

Technically, Utah hasn't used its full share of Colorado River Basin water, but the water shortage is making a couple of planned diversion projects in the St. George area more controversial.

Miller says Utah was smart to set a goal of 25 percent reduction in water use for cities in recent years, and more could be done.

"Utah does have some good opportunities to kind of meet their demands in a sustainable way going forward,” he adds. “Many of the cities, like Salt Lake, are headed that way. They're meeting the progress towards that standard, so that's good. Statewide, I think they've taken up a good goal-setting exercise."

Miller notes that water conservation is the least expensive and least controversial way to meet new demands. He says the lower water release from Lake Powell won't be felt for a while, as Las Vegas and other users pull water from multiple sources, including Lake Mead.





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