Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manage the Colorado River
The framework could require up to 3 million acre-feet in collective cuts, while giving officials flexibility to adjust reservoir operations every two years.
- On Friday, July 31, 2026, the Trump administration released a 10-year framework for managing Colorado River water shortages, stabilizing the system as old operating guidelines expire at year-end.
- Years of deadlocked negotiations between Upper Basin and Lower Basin states necessitated federal intervention as reservoirs dropped to record-low levels and 20-year operating guidelines approached expiration.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the framework provides "flexibility" to respond to hydrologic conditions, allowing up to 3 million acre-feet in annual Lower Basin reductions during severe drought years.
- California, Arizona, and Nevada will reduce water usage by 3.2 million acre-feet through 2028 under a two-year deal, avoiding the harshest potential cuts as officials finalize the framework.
- Federal authorities will revisit management decisions every two years through 2036, though Arizona officials noted potential legal challenges if states fail to reach a long-term consensus.
142 Articles
142 Articles
Federal government implements a 10-year Colorado River plan after states fail to deal
Federal water managers on Friday announced a 10-year plan to manage the critical Colorado River that opens the door to unprecedented water supply cuts to three states and will require near-constant negotiation between water users in the river basin.
Arizona, Nevada blast federal plan for Colorado River - Regional Media News
(The Center Square) - Arizona and Nevada on Friday opposed a Colorado River usage reduction plan by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which could define the crucial waterway for 40 million people over the next decade. The Colorado River Final Environmental Impact Statement by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Department of Interior emphasized the federal government's preference for negotiations to take place among states, but set in motion pl…
The Trump administration's ‘draconian’ water cuts could gut Arizona’s Colorado River supply
A Central Arizona Project canal carries Colorado River water to the Phoenix metropolitan area. (Photo by DougVonGausig/Getty Images)A new federal plan released Friday could mean cuts of up to 77% to Arizona’s share of Colorado River water, in the midst of a 25-year megadrought, something that state leaders say would cause catastrophic harm to the state’s economy. “Such reductions would devastate Arizona’s water users and its economy,” the Arizo…
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