Overview
- The seven basin states and the Interior Department issued a joint statement citing “collective progress” and committing to continue talks beyond the Nov. 11 milestone.
- The Bureau of Reclamation has cautioned it may impose a post‑2026 operating plan if no consensus emerges, with the current 2007 guidelines only carrying through to fall 2026.
- Talks remain split between Lower Basin demands for mandatory, verifiable cuts and Upper Basin preferences for voluntary or compensated conservation, including disagreements over releases from Lake Powell.
- Reservoir storage is critically low, with Lake Mead about 31% full and Lake Powell about 29%, reflecting roughly a 20% decline in Colorado River flows since 2000.
- Officials and experts warn that failure to reach a deal could invite federal action or court fights, while California’s outsized draw and reliance on Hoover Dam power keep its stakes particularly high.