The unusually wet winter we had in the Colorado River basin is boosting Lake Mead's dwindling water levels. But it's unclear how much might go to Arizona or who would benefit.

The big picture: The Colorado River basin is in the midst of a 23-year drought — the worst the region's seen in 1,200 years.

• Heavy snow in the Rocky Mountains helped at least temporarily replenish drought-stricken reservoirs.
• The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released projections last week that it will raise water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both of which were formed by dams on the Colorado River.
• Water is being transported from Lake Powell to Lake Mead to boost the latter's level.

Between the lines: Arizona is in a tier 2a shortage due to the drought, but the latest projections will most likely bring us back to a tier 1 shortage in 2024, Central Arizona Project (CAP) spokesperson DeEtte Person tells Axios.

• At the start of the year, CAP was expecting Arizona to hit a tier 3 or tier 2b shortage.
• The shortage designation, based on water levels in Lake Mead, dictates the allocation of cuts.

Why it matters: Whether water users who took cuts in past years get any of their water back remains to be seen.

• Person says some entities could receive small quantities of water next year, but not enough to make up for previous losses.

Yes, but: Even if the relatively rosy projections are enough to offset some previous cuts, it might not matter because the bureau's latest draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) could lead to more cuts that would wipe out any gains for CAP water users.

• It will issue a final SEIS this summer and is expected to make decisions about additional Colorado River cuts in August.
• Person says that means "there would be less water, not more."

Go deeper

Airbnbs in Phoenix have the second-highest fees in the country, with customers facing an average 47% surcharge on top of nightly rates this summer, according to a recent Forbes Advisor analysis.

Why it matters: High cleaning fees, service charges and taxes could unexpectedly break hopeful travelers' budgets.

• Reality check: Booking a home or condo in Phoenix at the average $202 per night could actually cost nearly $300. That's an extra $475 over five days in fees alone.

By the numbers: Phoenix tops the list for cleaning fees at 20%, nearly double the national average.

• The average cleaning fee for a five-night stay nationally is $160.
• The national average for total fees on top of nightly rates is 36%.

Of note: Scottsdale properties ranked seventh for Airbnb fees at 45%, with an average nightly rate of $253.

What they're saying: "When compared to a hotel, Airbnb often provides more space and more amenities: Travelers can get an Airbnb with two bedrooms and two bathrooms for approximately the price of one hotel room at a major chain," Airbnb spokeswoman Cristina Calzadilla told Forbes.

Flashback: After customer complaints, Airbnb last December added the option for customers to see the total price before booking.

• Now, properties will display the cost with all fees before taxes in search results, map, filter and listing page.

💭 Kate's thought bubble: Explore these unique properties in the Valley or a short drive from it.

Share with a visitor

McDonald's is serving up "hotter, juicier and tastier" burgers in Phoenix after making slight tweaks to some of its classic menu items.

• The Big Mac, McDouble, cheeseburger and hamburger now have meltier cheese, a better sear, softer buns, caramelized onions and more Mac sauce.

Driving the news: The revamped recipes have debuted in Phoenix and several other cities in the West, including Salt Lake City, Denver and Las Vegas.

• They're expected to roll out in all U.S. locations by 2024.

The intrigue: The Hamburglar came out of retirement for the new McDonald's advertising campaign promoting these changes to the burgers, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

🏞️ Salt River Tubing, which opens for the season on Saturday, is improving operations with online reservations, more shuttles, fast passes and no more hauling tubes. (AZcentral)

🏠 Metro Phoenix saw negative home price growth for the first time since the Great Recession with a 2.1% drop year-over-year due to federal interest rate hikes. (Phoenix Business Journal)

⛪ A security camera caught Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who's an ordained minister, taking and hiding Bibles from the House members lounge, calling the move "a little playful commentary on the separation of church and state." (Arizona's Family)

💼 Check out who’s hiring now.

1. Managing Director, Google Workspace Sales, Google Cloud at Google.
2. Product Owner at Discover.
3. Director of Business Development at MWH.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

Welcome to another edition of "Where in the Valley."

How it works: We show you something cool — you tell us where it is.

• The first reader who names the spot gets swag. And we'll select a second winner from the rest who guess correctly before 3pm.

You tell us: Where in the Valley can you find this historic house with images of three women in one of the windows?

• We'll give an extra shout-out to anyone who can tell us what makes this house historic.