US EditionLower Basin States Offer a Colorado River Deal
The plan requires larger cuts than previously offered and federal partnership as reservoir levels remain critically low, officials said.
- On Friday, the Lower Basin states—California, Arizona, and Nevada—proposed a plan to conserve up to 3.2 million acre-feet of water through 2028, aiming to stabilize the Colorado River amid historically dry conditions.
- Negotiators developed this short-term deal after deadlocking with Upper Basin states—Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico—over long-term water sharing, with litigation appearing likely if disputes over cuts persist.
- "With this proposal, the Lower Basin is putting forth real action to stabilize water supply," said JB Hamby, the chair of the Colorado River Board of California, citing measurable contributions.
- Federal partnership with the Interior Department remains essential for implementation; the plan requires approval from the Arizona Legislature and the Trump administration, commissioners said.
- Urgency intensifies as Lake Mead sits at 31% capacity and Lake Powell at 24%, while this year's snowpack in the Rocky Mountains measured just 22% of average—the smallest on record.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Nevada, California and Arizona announce new water-saving plan for dwindling Colorado River
With the Colorado River’s giant reservoirs declining toward critically low levels, negotiators for California, Arizona and Nevada announced Friday that they have agreed on a water-saving plan for the next two years.
Hanford Sentinel
California, Arizona and Nevada announce new water-saving plan for dwindling Colorado River
LOS ANGELES — With the Colorado River’s giant reservoirs declining toward critically low levels, negotiators for California, Arizona and Nevada announced Friday that they have agreed on a water-saving plan for the next two years. Representatives of the three states…
Fox 13 now
Lower Basin states offer a Colorado River deal
The three Lower Basin states along the Colorado River California, Arizona and Nevada have offered a proposal to reach an agreement to manage the water for more than 40 million people in the American West.As had been hinted at by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in comments this week to FOX 13 News, it is a short-term deal to prop up Lake Powell and Lake Mead and keep the entire river system from collapsing. In a proposal released Friday night, the Low…
Hobbs backs Lower Basin plan as Arizona presses case on Colorado River cuts
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday backed a three-state proposal to stabilize the shrinking Colorado River, positioning it as a way to protect Arizona from deeper federal cuts as negotiations among Western states grow more urgent.
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