On May 22, 2023, the Lower Colorado Basin States comprised of California, Arizona, and Nevada agreed to voluntarily conserve three million acre-feet of water over the next three years. This compromise is a result of pressure from the federal government for these states to voluntarily reduce their water allocations from the Colorado River due to the 20-year “megadrought” in the western United States causing Lakes Powell and Mead to approach critically low levels and preventing hydropower generation.