Federal warning issued to drought-stricken southwest Transcript

Morgan Norwood: (00:01) As the US sinks deeper into a climate crisis with the west in the middle of an extreme drought, an urgent warning from the federal government to multiple states in the region, they're asking Arizona and Nevada to drastically cut down on water use as the Colorado river, which serves nearly 40 million Americans across seven states and Mexico reaches a tipping point. Speaker 2: (00:23) Without action, we cannot protect the system and the millions of Americans who rely on this critical resource. Morgan Norwood: (00:30) In the Colorado basin, Lake Mead and Lake Powell are both at historically low levels after 23 years in drought conditions. Currently, Lake Powell is at 26% capacity. Lake Mead, at 27%. We've been covering the dwindling lake levels. Speaker 3: (00:47) Over the past two decades, the water level here at Lake Mead has decreased by 130 feet. That's basically a 13 story building. And when you're up close, you can see how gigantic those bathtub rings really are. Morgan Norwood: (00:59) And from the drought to the flooding, the west is getting it all. This river of water rushing onto the Vegas strip. And just a couple of weeks ago, a so-called 1000 year flood in California's death valley. Experts say the drought and flooding can go hand in hand as even mild rainstorms can overwhelm dry soil and create rivers in the streets. But the west isn't the only region at risk. You can see how most of the country is experiencing some level of drought conditions. Morgan Norwood: (01:28) And abroad, the climate crisis is mounting there too. Parts of France pummeled with flash flooding and in Germany, the Rhine river officially running dry, trapping this cargo ship and further putting experts on alert for what this crisis means for humanity. And back here at home, and in response to the emergency on the Colorado river, the federal government stopping short of forcing water cuts instead saying they would rather work together with states to find a solution. I'm Morgan Norwood, ABC News, Los Angeles.