US finalizes 21% Colorado River water cuts for California, Nevada, Arizona
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The U.S. government on Friday finalized a two-year plan cutting Colorado River water supplies to California, Nevada and Arizona by about 21% in 2027 and 2028. The plan allows for much deeper cuts after 2028, raising the risk of legal challenges from Arizona and Nevada. Upper Basin states Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming face no mandatory reductions.
Key Facts
- The plan cuts water supplies to California, Nevada and Arizona by about 21% in 2027 and 2028, totaling 1.6 million acre-feet per year.
- Cuts could nearly double after 2028 under the 10-year plan, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
- Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said the state is prepared to protect its water by any legal means necessary and threatened to sue over deeper cuts.
- Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the nation's two largest reservoirs, hit record lows this month, with Lake Powell at 3,519.2 feet above sea level on Thursday.
- The Colorado River provides water to one in 10 Americans, irrigates land producing 15% of U.S. food output, and generates power for 6 million people in seven states.
The Water Cut Plan
The U.S. government finalized a two-year plan on Friday to slash water supplies to California, Nevada and Arizona to manage the drought-stricken Colorado River. The three lower basin states will take around a 21% reduction in water from the river in 2027 and 2028, but cuts could nearly double in later years, according to the plan signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. In line with a May 1 proposal made by the Lower Basin states, their water allocation will be reduced by a combined 1.6 million acre-feet per year in both 2027 and 2028. Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming, the upper basin states, face no mandatory cuts under the plan.
State Reactions and Legal Threats
Arizona and Nevada have said any plan to double the cuts after 2028 would devastate their economies. Arizona has threatened to sue the federal government if it imposed these potential cuts as part of the new 10-year plan. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, applauded the federal government for adopting the Lower Basin's proposal for water cuts in 2027 and 2028. But she said the government's 10-year plan fell short of providing water Lower Basin states were entitled to, and called the Upper Basin's refusal to negotiate reductions to their water usage "reckless." "Arizona stands prepared to protect our water by any legal means necessary and won't back down in defense of our rights," Hobbs said in a statement.
Drought and Reservoir Conditions
In three years of failed negotiations between the seven states, Upper Basin states refused to take cuts, arguing they face declining water supplies due to the severe drought impacting the U.S. West. The river's Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the nation's two largest reservoirs, hit record lows this month. The water level of Lake Powell sat at 3,519.2 feet above sea level on Thursday — less than 30 feet above the minimum level needed to operate the Glen Canyon Dam hydroelectric power plant in Arizona. The Colorado River provides water to one in 10 Americans, irrigates land producing 15% of U.S. food output and generates power for 6 million people in seven states. The river's governing agreements allocated roughly equal amounts of water to the two basins in 1922, but California, Arizona and Nevada have historically consumed more water, a central point of contention.
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US finalizes 21% Colorado River water cuts for California, Nevada, Arizona
