美国计划限制科罗拉多河的用水量

The U.S. government plans to reduce the amount of Colorado River water several states are permitted to use next year.
美国政府计划在明年减少几州使用科罗拉多河水的配额。

The river supplies water to seven Western states, more than 20 Native American tribes, and two states in Mexico.
这条河为七个西部州、20多个美洲原住民部落以及墨西哥的两个州提供水源。

Those states and the country of Mexico are also considering plans for how to share the water after 2026.
这些州和墨西哥也在考虑2026年后的水资源分配计划。

That is when many current rules and agreements about the use of Colorado River water will come to an end.
届时，许多关于科罗拉多河用水的现行规则和协议将到期。

The river brings water to millions of hectares of farmland in the American West.
这条河为美国西部数百万公顷的农田提供灌溉用水。

Hydroelectric dams on the river produce power.
河上的水力发电大坝还发电。

Experts say increased water use, combined with rising temperatures and dry weather, are the reasons for the need to make cuts.
专家表示，水资源使用增加，加上气温上升和干旱天气，是需要减少用水的原因。

In 2007, following years of dry weather, the U.S. states in the river's basin and the federal government agreed to rules to help deal with lower water levels.
2007年，在经历多年干旱之后，河流流域的美国各州与联邦政府达成了规则，以应对水位下降的问题。

The states involved were Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
参与的州包括亚利桑那州、内华达州、加利福尼亚州、科罗拉多州、新墨西哥州、犹他州和怀俄明州。

Those rules determine when some of the states must cut their water usage based on levels at Lake Mead.
这些规则规定，根据米德湖的水位，一些州必须减少用水量。

The lake is on the border of Nevada and Arizona.
该湖位于内华达州和亚利桑那州的交界处。

It provides water for hydropower, farming, and other needs.
它为水力发电、农业和其他需求提供水源。

Because of the need for new rules, states, Native American tribes, and others are forming new plans to deal with even deeper water cuts that might happen in 2026.
由于需要新规则，各州、美洲原住民部落等正在制定新计划，以应对可能在2026年发生的更大幅度的用水削减。

The federal government will announce water cuts for 2025 based on levels at Lake Mead.
联邦政府将根据米德湖的水位宣布2025年的用水削减计划。

If Lake Mead drops below a level that has been agreed to, Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico will face cuts.
如果米德湖水位低于商定的水平，亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州、内华达州和墨西哥将面临削减。

However, California might not face cuts because the current rules give that state special water rights.
然而，加利福尼亚州可能不会面临削减，因为现行规则赋予该州特殊的水权。

Last year, Arizona, California and Nevada agreed to save an extra 3 million acre-feet of water in addition to the cuts the federal government had already required.
去年，亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和内华达州同意在联邦政府已经要求的削减之外，额外节约300万英亩英尺的水。

An “acre-foot” is equal to about 1.2 million liters.
一“英亩英尺”约等于120万升水。

In return, the U.S. government agreed to pay water districts and other users for much of that reduction in water use.
作为回报，美国政府同意向水区和其他用户支付这部分节水费用。

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are in the river's Upper Basin.
科罗拉多州、新墨西哥州、犹他州和怀俄明州位于河流的上游流域。

Those states have not used all of the water the rules permit them to use.
这些州并未使用规则允许的全部用水量。

For this reason, they have not yet had to reduce the amount of water they take from the river.
因此，它们尚未需要减少从河流中取水的数量。

Wet weather in 2023 and efforts to save water by Lower Basin states have increased the level of Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
2023年的潮湿天气以及下游流域各州的节水努力，已经提高了米德湖和鲍威尔湖的水位。

Lake Powell in Utah is another body of water that holds and releases water from the river.
犹他州的鲍威尔湖是另一处蓄水并从河流中放水的水体。

However, experts say higher temperatures will continue to reduce water in the Colorado River in the coming years.
然而，专家表示，未来几年内，气温升高将继续减少科罗拉多河的水量。

In March, Upper and Lower Basin states, tribes and environmental groups proposed plans to deal with likely water reductions in the future.
3月，上游和下游流域的州、部落和环境团体提出了应对未来可能的减水计划。

Arizona, California and Nevada asked the federal government to include water levels at other reservoirs besides Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和内华达州要求联邦政府将米德湖和鲍威尔湖以外的其他水库水位也纳入考量。

Their plan says that if the whole system drops below 38 percent of the maximum amount of water it can hold, the Upper Basin and Mexico should share deeper cuts equally with the Lower Basin.
他们的计划指出，如果整个系统的蓄水量降至最大蓄水量的38%以下，上游流域和墨西哥应与下游流域平摊更深层次的削减。

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming want larger and sooner cuts when water is low at Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
科罗拉多州、新墨西哥州、犹他州和怀俄明州希望在米德湖和鲍威尔湖水位较低时进行更大幅度和更早的削减。

The cuts would affect California, Arizona and Nevada.
这些削减将影响加利福尼亚州、亚利桑那州和内华达州。

Their plan does not call for reductions in how much water Upper Basin states use.
他们的计划并不要求减少上游流域各州的用水量。

The federal government is expected to propose new rules by December.
预计联邦政府将在12月之前提出新规则。

The rules would consider the different plans and possible steps for the future.
这些规则将考虑不同的计划和未来的可能步骤。

Until then, states, tribes and other groups will continue negotiations on water.
在此之前，各州、部落和其他团体将继续就水资源进行谈判。