Yuma Ag Water

A story that needs to be shared💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Thousands of heads per acre. Millions of meals. And countless jobs behind the harvest.

Yuma ag water helps make this incredible production possible. From the field to the packing shed, it takes people, and those jobs help keep food moving to tables across the country. #coloradoriver #waterforfood #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Colorado River Update:

The new Colorado River operating framework is now in place for 2027 and 2028.

Here are the numbers:

• 1.25 million acre-feet of annual reductions across Arizona, California and Nevada
• 760,000 acre-feet of that reduction is assigned to Arizona
• 440,000 acre-feet to California
• 50,000 acre-feet to Nevada
• The broader framework looks ahead through 2036, with operations reviewed and adjusted along the way.

For perspective, one acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons.

These are significant numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story. Arizona’s reduction will not be shared equally among all water users. Priority of water rights matters, and that distinction is particularly important to Yuma agriculture.

Yuma’s senior Colorado River water rights remain a critical part of this conversation.

The Colorado River is under tremendous pressure, and the decisions being made today will affect farms, communities and cities throughout the Southwest.

The work isn’t over. Now the focus turns to how these reductions are implemented, and protecting the water rights that have made Yuma one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions. #coloradoriver #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Today, @GovernorHobbs proclaimed August 22nd as Farmworkers Day in Arizona.

Yuma agriculture depends on two things working together: water that makes growing possible and people who make it happen. Today, we recognize the farmworkers who turn Yuma’s ag water into food for millions. #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

@washingtonpost Lake Powell’s record low is serious, but it’s one part of a much larger Colorado River system. Downstream, Yuma’s senior water rights and agricultural economy play an important role in how that water is delivered and used. 💧🌱

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Lake Powell’s level is important, and it’s only one piece of a much larger Colorado River system. Downstream, Yuma uses Colorado River water to produce food for millions of Americans. Understanding the river means understanding the entire system, and how it feeds the country. 💧🌱

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

@ABCWorldNews @DavidMuir The Colorado River is a vital lifeline, and protecting its future requires every voice at the table, including agriculture. 💧🌱

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

@CRWUA_water This conference is a vital part of the discussion to ensure agriculture has a future on the Colorado River. 💧🌱

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

@WesternGrowers 100 years of growing, feeding, and building the West. Pretty amazing to see the people and traditions behind it all. Here’s to the next 100! 🍈🌱

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

@nature_techie @usbr Agreed, conservation is part of the solution, but it can’t be the whole solution. We need thoughtful, fair allocation reform that recognizes water rights and the value agriculture provides.

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

As of early August, the Bureau of Reclamation reported Lake Powell is at 23% capacity and Lake Mead is at 27%. Releases are currently 7,800 cfs from Powell and 10,000 cfs from Mead.

The numbers remind us that water security can’t be taken for granted. For Yuma agriculture, that means continuing to use every acre-foot wisely, protect the water resources we depend on, and keep working together toward a sustainable Colorado River.

Yuma Ag Water matters, not just for Yuma, but for the food we grow and the communities we support. #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

During Yuma’s peak winter months, roughly 1 billion pounds of lettuce are produced here each month.

That’s nearly 170 million fresh servings every day.

Yuma Ag Water helps make it possible to feed families across the country with fresh, locally grown produce.

#coloradoriver #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

The soil is being prepared. The season is getting closer.

Soon, these fields will be producing the winter vegetables Yuma is known for. It starts with good ground, careful preparation, and water.

#yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

That’s the scale of what a single Yuma produce block can provide.

#yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Today we celebrate the hardworking men and women who make agriculture possible. From planting to harvest, their dedication helps feed communities across the country. Thank you to every farm worker for your commitment, skill, and pride in the work you do. Happy Farm Worker Appreciation Day! #farmworkerappreciationday #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

The @usbr released its Final Environmental Impact Statement outlining proposed operating guidelines for the Colorado River after 2026.

The federal proposal shifts from fixed operating rules toward an adaptive framework that allows reservoir operations to respond to changing conditions as they occur. This approach is designed to help balance water supply reliability with long-term sustainability.

While the process continues, one thing remains the same: Yuma agriculture depends on careful water management. Every season, farmers and irrigation districts work together to deliver water efficiently through maintained canals, precision irrigation, and decades of conservation investments.

The future of the Colorado River will continue to evolve, but responsible water stewardship remains a constant in Yuma agriculture.

#coloradoriver #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Small footprint. Big impact.

A greenhouse covering just 1/8 of an acre can produce enough transplants for 40 acres of Yuma farmland. It’s a smarter start that helps conserve water, improve crop establishment, and make every drop count.

#coloradoriver #cropperdrop #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

The best water conservation is often the work you never see.

Maintaining irrigation infrastructure is a vital part of season preparations, helping ensure water moves efficiently from the canal to the field. #yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

It’s about producing more with the water we have.

Across the Colorado River Basin, irrigated agriculture generates different levels of value from each acre-foot of water. In Yuma County, that value is approximately $1,581 per acre-foot, more than twice the basin average of $692.

As conversations continue about the future of the Colorado River, efficiency and productivity deserve a seat at the table. #yumaagwater💧 #coloradoriver #cropperdrop

Source: University of Arizona, February 2025

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

Every season starts long before the first field is planted.

Inside greenhouses, millions of transplants are carefully grown in a small footprint before heading to the field. This process helps conserve water by giving each plant a healthy start, reducing water needed for establishment, and improving efficiency from day one.

It’s one more way Yuma farmers are growing more with less while supporting local jobs, our community, and the winter vegetables that feed millions.

#yumaagwater💧

[Yuma Ag Water @YumaAgWater]

The Colorado River is shared by many, but not all water rights are the same.

Yuma’s senior Colorado River water rights, recognized under the Law of the River, provide certainty for the farms that help feed America. That water doesn’t just grow winter vegetables, it helps produce a diverse range of crops, supports thousands of jobs, and keeps food moving from Yuma fields to tables across the country.

Protecting Yuma’s water is about more than one community. It’s about protecting one of America’s most productive agricultural regions and the families, businesses, and consumers who depend on it every day.

#coloradoriver #yumaagriculture #cropperdrop #yumaagwater💧