US government planning dramatic Colorado River water cuts due to drought, overuse
Federal officials said the plan could mandate cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet a year, nearly 40% of combined allotments.
- The Trump administration proposed a 10-year plan to manage Colorado River shortages, potentially cutting water use by up to 3 million acre-feet annually in Arizona, California, and Nevada to stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell.
- With the existing 20-year agreement expiring this year and talks between the seven basin states at an impasse, federal officials intervened to address severe depletion of the river's largest reservoirs.
- Federal officials described the proposal as a '10-year framework' requiring mandatory reductions that could reach 40% of the three states' combined allotments, nearly double the 1.6 million acre-feet reduction offered by state negotiators this month.
- Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke called the mandatory cuts a 'sobering' possibility, warning the plan could potentially force the Central Arizona Project to zero.
- The Bureau of Reclamation will reassess mandatory reductions every two years based on water levels, aiming to provide 'stability while allowing flexibility' as the region navigates water rights established by the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
20 Articles
20 Articles
US plan for Colorado River could cut up to 40% supply for Arizona, California and Nevada
Proposal comes after seven states drawing water from drought-stricken river failed to come to an agreement The US government has proposed a plan for the drought stricken Colorado River that could cut up to 40% of current supplies to Arizona, California and Nevada, as the waterway’s reservoirs continue to plunge to critically low levels. A [...]
40% water cut may come with feds' Colorado River plan; Lake Mead projections show steep drop
The federal government is ready to cut Nevada's primary water supply by 40% as projections for the Colorado sink to new lows. Arizona officials reviewed parts of a preliminary federal plan earlier this week that could be a new reality for water in the West.
As the Colorado River dries up, how Western states are confronting the water crisis
Roughly one in ten Americans gets their water from the Colorado River. But a worsening drought, driven in part by climate change, is drying up the river, and states are fighting over water rights. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what that means for communities and industries that depend on that water with Luke Runyon, Wade Crowfoot and Joel Ferry.
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