The federal government recently finalized a new river plan to help keep it from plunging further, causing concerns and uncertainty among those who rely on its water.
The EPA memo comes a day after the White House released a national cybersecurity strategy that calls for software makers to be held liable when their products leave gaping holes for hackers to exploit.
The Metropolitan Water District offers rebates to residents ripping up their lawns and putting in plants that don't need a lot of water to survive.
Officials said it's enough water to fill up four Rose Bowls and enough to serve 816,000 people for a year.
The drought is forcing cities in the West to crack down on lawn-watering, and paying residents to replace their lawns with drought-resistant plants.
For the second year in a row, Arizona and Nevada will face cuts in the amount of water they can draw from the Colorado River as the West endures more drought, federal officials said.