Where Colorado River water goes

In 2020, U.S. states used more than 11 million acre-feet of Colorado River water, while Mexico used about 1.5 million acre-feet.

Water use in millions of acre-feet

A diagram shows how much Colorado River water states used in 2020. California used the most with 4.1 million acre feet, followd by Arizona with 2.5 and Colorado with 2.4.

Colorado River

Upper Basin

Colorado

2.4

Lower Basin

Wyoming

0.36

Utah

1.1

New

Mexico

0.39

Nevada

Arizona

0.26

2.5

California

4.1

Mexico

1.5

A diagram shows how much Colorado River water states used in 2020. California used the most with 4.1 million acre feet, followd by Arizona with 2.5 and Colorado with 2.4.

Colorado River

Upper Basin

Colorado

2.4

Lower Basin

Wyoming

0.36

Utah

1.1

New Mexico

0.39

Nevada

Arizona

0.26

2.5

California

4.1

Mexico

1.5

Not charted is an estimated 1.8 million acre-feet of water that was lost to evaporation from major reservoirs in 2020.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation consumptive use figures

Sean Greene LOS ANGELES TIMES