LAKE MEADAbout 26% full~6.8 million acre-feet stored
26%
A WATER + ENERGY VISION FOR THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
What if we stopped fighting over a shrinking water supply—and started building the water future the Southwest needs to prosper?
Save the Southwest is exploring whether new water, abundant energy, and major infrastructure can work together to strengthen the Colorado River system—and give the Southwest the capacity it needs to grow.
01 / 07
02
THE CHALLENGE
The Southwest has a water math problem.
For generations, the Colorado River has helped communities, farms, businesses, and industries thrive across the Southwest.
Today, Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at historic lows. There are two ways to change the equation:
Do more with the water we already have.And find ways to create more.
Conservation and efficiency remain essential. New water could reduce pressure on the Colorado River, leave more water in the system, and help replenish its major reservoirs.
See the Idea →LAKE POWELLAbout 22% full~5.1 million acre-feet stored
22%
Our water savings account is running low.Leaving more Colorado River water in the system can help rebuild storage over time.Approximate storage, September 2026 • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
03
THE IDEA
Create water. Use it where it helps most.
Leave more water in the river.
The idea is simple enough to explain in three steps.
STEP 1 — MAKE NEW FRESH WATER
Turn ocean water into fresh water.
The ocean is an enormous water source that does not depend on Colorado River rain or snow. Desalination can turn a small portion of it into fresh water.
1
Make new fresh water
Turn ocean water into fresh water.
2
Use the new water instead
Use fresh water made from ocean water near Mexico and California to replace some Colorado River water.
3
Leave more water in the river
When less Colorado River water is needed elsewhere, more can remain in the system to help replenish Mead and Powell.
We don't have to pump all the new water to Lake Mead. If fresh water made from ocean water replaces Colorado River water somewhere else, the river water we do not use can stay in the system.
OCEAN WATER
new source
new source
→
REMOVE THE SALT
→
USE IT NEAR
MEXICO + CALIFORNIA
MEXICO + CALIFORNIA
→
LESS RIVER WATER
needs to be taken
needs to be taken
→
HELP REPLENISH
Mead + Powell
Mead + Powell
⚡ BUILD MORE ENERGY TOO Nuclear + solar + storage could power the water system while adding electricity for communities, businesses, and future growth.
04
THE GOAL
2.7BILLION GALLONS OF NEW WATER / DAY
≈ 3 million acre-feet per year
That's the goal.
Not the conclusion.
Create enough new water to meaningfully reduce Colorado River demand—leaving more water in the system to help rebuild Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
58%1.6B/day Base case we have modeled83%2.2B/day Expansion case we are testing100%2.7B/day Strategic goal
What the models show today: Our current base case totals 1.75 MAF/year—about 58% of the 3 MAF goal. An illustrative expansion case reaches 2.50 MAF/year—about 83%. The remaining 0.50 MAF/year is still unresolved.
See the Vision →05
THE VISION
Don't just protect the Southwest.
Prepare it to prosper.
The Southwest is growing. Its infrastructure needs to grow with it.
New communities, advanced manufacturing, technology, and data centers all need reliable water and power.
The goal is to add new capacity—not simply place tomorrow's demand on today's limited water and energy systems.
Build what the Southwest needs next.
06
THE EVIDENCE
A big idea deserves
serious questions.
We don't want concerned citizens to simply believe the idea. We want them to examine it.
WATERCan we create enough water?How much new water could we create, how much Colorado River demand could it replace, and how much additional capacity could it provide?
ENERGYWhere will the power come from?How much new power would the water system and future regional growth require—and how could we produce it reliably?
RESPONSIBLE CONSTRUCTIONCan we build it responsibly?Where would we build the plants, pipelines, and pumps—and what would the environmental impact be?
ECONOMICSWhat will it cost—and who pays for it?What would it cost to build and operate, and how should those costs be shared?
ASSUMPTIONS→EVIDENCE→CALCULATIONS→CHALLENGES→CONCLUSIONS
We are testing the idea—not trying to prove a predetermined answer. Show our assumptions. Show our sources. Show our math. Show what doesn't work. Then draw conclusions.
See the Big Question →THE BIG QUESTION
What could the Southwest become if water and power no longer limited its future?
We don't claim to have all the answers. We're doing the work to determine what's possible.
Create new water. Build new power. Reduce pressure on the Colorado River. Help rebuild the reservoirs—and create room for the Southwest to grow.