Federal Plan Proposes Deep Cuts to Colorado River Water Use

The U.S. Interior Department unveiled a federal plan that could cut up to 3 million acre-feet per year from the Colorado River’s Lower Basin allocation. The proposal targets Arizona, California and Nevada, whose water rights are the most junior in the basin. The plan is presented as a flexible response to worsening water conditions, but the Interior Department has not detailed the specific reductions slated for 2027-2028.

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The Colorado River has been in drought for more than 25 years, and a NASA study reports that since 2002 the river’s reservoirs and aquifers have lost 52 cubic kilometers of water. Climate-driven aridity and heavy agricultural withdrawals—especially for water-intensive crops such as hay—have intensified the shortfall. The river supplies municipal, industrial, agricultural and domestic water to seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In the Lower Basin, water also fuels hydroelectric generation at Lake Mead and Lake Powell; the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warns that declining reservoir levels could jeopardize power production.

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Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) described the proposal as imposing “unrealistic reductions” that could have “devastating economic and environmental impacts” on the state. The Interior Department emphasized that the maximum cut figure is a ceiling and that the plan will be adjusted as conditions evolve.

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State officials argue that the federal blueprint exceeds what the Lower Basin states themselves have proposed. Arizona officials stress that severe cuts would threaten agricultural productivity and regional economic stability, while Nevada officials warn of ripple effects on water-dependent industries and ecosystems. Both states contend that the plan’s flexibility remains uncertain, leaving them unable to plan long-term water management strategies.

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• “The most junior water right in the Lower Basin, where most of the water is used, is the water that supplies the Central Arizona Project Canal, the CAP, the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, that takes water and is a critical supplemental source to Phoenix and Tucson,” — Jack Schmidt

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• “It definitely is going to have an impact, but it’s probably just a few hours in those hottest summer months,” — Malcolm Woolf

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