US Bureau of Reclamation Declares a Colorado Tier 2A Shortage to Begin January 1, 2023

Gilbert, Ariz. - The United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) has declared a Colorado River Tier 2A Shortage to begin January 1, 2023. Per the 2019 Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), this means Arizona will have to take a 592,000-acre-foot cut to its allocation, which is an additional 80,000 acre-feet above the current Tier 1 shortage. Gilbert is prepared for these reductions and a Tier 2A shortage does not impact Gilbert's ability to meet the needs of our community and deliver water to homes and businesses.

In addition to the Tier 2A declaration, Reclamation announced that it will be working on a plan to address the declining and serious conditions on the river. Though this announcement does not yet require Arizona, and therefore Gilbert, to take additional cuts beyond the DCP for 2023, the conditions on the river are likely to continue to decline without additional significant contributions by all water users in the Colorado River Basin.

In anticipation of future reductions to our Colorado River Supply, we are evaluating the potential impacts and continue to look for innovative and attainable solutions by:

• Analyzing infrastructure needs to ensure water can be moved where needed
• Prioritizing and escalation escalating Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects where needed, and, as appropriate.
• Optimizing treatment facilities and access to other water supplies.
• Strategically planning to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of our diverse water supplies.
• Expanding customer outreach and conservation programs, including reducing water use at our municipal facilities and launching a limited rebate program with opportunities for future expansion.

Gilbert has a diverse and resilient water supply portfolio and an action plan in place to navigate these times of shortages. We enacted Stage 1 of Gilbert's Water Supply Reduction Management Plan in June due to the worsening Colorado River conditions and anticipate the need to explore later phases to adapt to the situation.

Gilbert will continue to plan and prepare and we ask that you join us in making a conscious effort to conserve. In 2021, the efforts of our residents, HOAs, businesses and churches through Gilbert's Water Conservation program saved a combined 133 million gallons of water. We look forward to continuing that trend in 2022 and beyond.

Please visit gilbertaz.gov/WaterShortage for water saving tips, resources, and up-to-date information on the Colorado River shortage and what it means for Gilbert.