US Edition‘Inaction is not an option’: Federal agency presses forward on Colorado River deal
The Bureau of Reclamation proposed five post-2026 management alternatives including a No Action option as drought and reservoir declines pressure urgent water policy updates.
- On Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation posted a more than 1,600-page draft Environmental Impact Statement online as a NEPA step to replace expiring post-2026 operating guidelines.
- Years of drought and warming have driven down storage, with Lake Mead at 33% and Lake Powell at 27%, while current guidelines expire at the end of the year.
- The draft analyzes operational choices including the `No Action` alternative, supply-driven operations tying releases to available water, enhanced coordination integrating Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and maximum operational flexibility giving managers broader latitude.
- A 45-day public comment period runs Jan. 16 through March 2, with virtual meetings on Jan. 29 and Feb. 10; Andrea Travnicek reiterated the Feb. 14 deadline for a deal.
- The seven basin states remain divided over cuts and duration as they have been at an impasse since early 2024, missing deadlines and offering competing proposals, while federal officials produced five options and urged consensus.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Nevada Current
Feds release draft long-term plans for Colorado River management
The Colorado River is pictured where it flows near Hite, Utah, just beyond the upper reaches of Lake Powell, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)Amid stalled state negotiations over how to share the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply, the Bureau of Reclamation on Friday released a range of options that will serve as the foundation for how to manage the river’s largest reservoirs – Lake Mead and Lake Pow…
Trump administration weighs how to confront Colorado River water shortfall
The Trump administration has released an outline of four options for dealing with ongoing water shortages along the Colorado River, as officials from seven Western states remain at odds in negotiations over how to address the water crisis. Current rules for handling water shortages expire at the end of this year and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s alternatives propose ways to determine water cutbacks after that. Federal officials stressed the i…
Trump administration proposes Colorado River options that could hit California hard
With rules governing the hard-hit Colorado River set to expire, the Trump administration presented options for dealing with the ongoing water shortages. Some experts said they would require greater sacrifice from California than other states.
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