# How Water Scarcity Is Changing the Economics of the Southwest

https://mins.news/en/video/29843

- Bloomberg Television, 2026-08-23 14:00 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjrW88M58jA

> The Colorado River supplies seven states and supports an estimated $1.4 trillion in annual economic activity. Decades of decline, record-low snowpack and shrinking reservoirs have pushed the system toward crisis, with Lake Powell nearing levels that could endanger hydropower. As key rules expire without a long-term state agreement, the federal government is proposing cuts to lower-basin water use, with Arizona facing the hardest impact.

## Related coverage

- [Climate change, population growth drive record lows at two largest US reservoirs](https://mins.news/en/video/30060) — Global News, 2026-08-23
- [Arizona, California and Nevada face deep Colorado River water cuts under new plan](https://mins.news/en/item/29033) — CNN, 2026-08-22
- [Federal officials announce water cuts as Colorado River supplies continue to plunge](https://mins.news/en/item/29031) — The Associated Press, 2026-08-22