GLOSSARY

H.O.P.R.

Hydrologic Operations Plan Response: the basin supercomputer that runs the negotiations.

DRYCON

Drought Readiness Condition, keyed to Lake Mead elevations in the 2027–2028 Colorado River Operating Guidelines and to Hoover Dam's operating limits.

S.A.L.T.

Strategic Allocation Limitation Talks.

I.C.B.M.

Interstate Compact Breach Maneuver.

M.A.C.

Mutually Assured Conservation: draining the system destroys every stakeholder, so every stakeholder has to conserve.

POWELL

John Wesley Powell led the 1869 river expedition. His 1878 Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States warned Congress that the arid West did not hold enough water for the land being promised.

MAF / AF

Million acre-feet / acre-feet. One acre-foot is about 325,851 gallons.

CAP

Central Arizona Project, the 336-mile canal that carries Colorado River water to Phoenix and Tucson.

Winters rights

Tribal reserved water rights under Winters v. United States (1908), dated to the creation of the reservation.

Lees Ferry

The point in northern Arizona that divides the Upper and Lower Basins under the 1922 Compact, where Article III(d) deliveries are measured.

Minimum power pool

The lowest level at which a dam can generate power. Lake Mead: 950 ft. Lake Powell: 3,490 ft.

Dead pool

The elevation below which water can no longer leave a reservoir by gravity. Lake Mead: 895 ft. Lake Powell: 3,370 ft.

Full pool

A reservoir at its operating capacity. Lake Mead: 1,229 ft. Lake Powell: 3,700 ft. The objective of the game.

DATA ON SCREEN

Opening levels: Lake Mead 1,039 ft and Lake Powell 3,534 ft (Bureau of Reclamation, Nov 3, 2026). Lake Mead's lowest level since it filled: 1,037.16 ft (Oct 22, 2026). The decline to dead pool and the refill are simulated.

DRYCON thresholds: Department of the Interior, 2027–2028 Colorado River Operating Guidelines (Aug 21, 2026). Hoover's 1,035 ft turbine limit: Bureau of Reclamation (2026); Circle of Blue (2025).

2027–2028 reductions: Arizona 760,000, California 440,000 and Nevada 50,000 acre-feet a year (Interior); Mexico 250,000 acre-feet a year (IBWC Minute 334).

17.5 MAF of shares: Colorado River Compact (1922) and 1944 Water Treaty. 12.4 MAF: average natural flow at Lees Ferry, 2000–2024 (Reclamation data). 75 MAF per ten years at Lees Ferry: Compact Article III(d).

30 Tribal Nations; recognized rights to about 3.2 MAF a year, roughly a quarter of supply: Water & Tribes Initiative (2021).

Agriculture at 74% of direct human use; cattle-feed crops 46%; alfalfa 27% of all water consumed; 11% lost to reservoir evaporation (2000–2019 averages): Richter et al., Communications Earth & Environment 5:134 (2024).

20 Imperial Valley farming families using more water than Nevada (2022 data): ProPublica and The Desert Sun (2023).

Each claim on the war-room ticker is sourced in the Water War tracker (Red Line Cycle tab).

CREDITS

Built on Down to the Last Drop, the original proof of concept by Lawson Lowe and Zac Biniak.

NOTICE

Water War is an original parody and educational project. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by MGM or the producers of the 1983 film WarGames.

Water War Trailer v1.1.0 · Facts current as of November 4, 2026.