Overview

• State negotiators have coalesced around a concept to allocate water according to recent climate-driven flows rather than century-old legal thresholds.
• Bureau of Reclamation engineers will simulate allocations under the new formula, though states have yet to agree on the exact share each basin would receive.
• The proposal represents a philosophical shift from the 1922 compact by tying distribution to actual river volumes instead of fixed entitlements.
• Arizona’s Department of Water Resources has launched statewide talks on managing cuts after its 2026 agreements expire, with Gov. Katie Hobbs urging innovative solutions.
• Yuma-area farmers say they are open to conservation measures but will defend their senior water rights against uncompensated reductions.