Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Colorado River Talks Miss Federal Deadline as Arizona Seeks Mandatory Cuts

Federal water managers are preparing fallback plans that could impose reductions.

FILE - The Colorado River cuts through Black Canyon on June 6, 2023, near White Hills, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
FILE - Colorado Governor Jared Polis speaks during the summer meeting of the National Governors Association at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs speaks during an interview with the Associated Press on Oct. 7, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Samantha Chow, File)

Overview

  • Negotiators for the seven basin states failed to meet the Interior Department’s Nov. 11 target for a consensus framework to govern the river after 2026.
  • Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging federally enforced, binding cutbacks and criticized Upper Basin states for resisting commitments.
  • The Bureau of Reclamation is evaluating its own operating alternatives and could advance a federal plan if the states do not bridge their differences, even as talks continue.
  • A core dispute centers on Upper Basin states using less than their legal shares yet being obligated to deliver water downstream, while low Lake Mead levels have already triggered reductions for Arizona and Nevada.
  • Colorado officials said they remain committed to negotiations, with Water Commissioner Becky Mitchell calling Arizona’s rhetoric unhelpful, as environmental groups voiced disappointment over the lack of an agreement.