US Edition
Feds Take over After Western States Fail to Strike Colorado River Deal
- On Feb. 14, the seven Colorado River Basin states failed to reach a shortage-sharing agreement by the federal deadline set by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation after months of stalled talks.
- This winter's snowpack was at less than half its normal level, leaving reservoirs like Lake Powell at 26% full and the 1922 Colorado River compact's allocations in question.
- Negotiators voiced frustration, with Tom Buschatzke and John Entsminger issuing pointed statements after the Upper Basin rejected mandatory cuts, despite Lower Basin offers including Arizona's 27%, California's 10%, and Nevada's 17%.
- The Interior Department warned it will impose a plan if states fail to agree, but the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Basic Coordination fallback relying on Lower Basin cuts could prompt lawsuits, while litigation could reach the U.S. Supreme Court before the 2027 water year.
- The Colorado River system supports 40 million people, with twenty-two of 30 tribes holding rights to a quarter of the supply, while experts warn dead pool at Lake Mead risks farms and hydropower amid shrinking snowpack.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Feds take over after Western states fail to strike Colorado River deal
The final deadline for the seven states in the Colorado River Basin to negotiate a new 20-year agreement for how to manage the water supply for years to come is here. The states, once again, have not reached a deal, and after two extensions in November and December, the federal government is done resetting the clock. The federal government will now step in to determine, at least for a time, how water gets divided among the states and parties sig…
Colorado Newsline
Colorado River negotiations crumble as another deadline passes by
The Colorado River is pictured where if flows near Hite, just beyond the upper reaches of Lake Powell, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)Seven states drawing water from the Colorado River for drinking, farming and electricity walked away from the negotiating table Friday without a deal on how to share the dwindling water supply starting next year. Negotiators spent months trying to close an expansive divi…
These three states make up the so-called Lower Basia and are in conflict with the four top Basia States: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico
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