Overview
- The Bureau of Reclamation’s Record of Decision requires Arizona, California and Nevada to reduce Colorado River use by about 1.25 million acre-feet per year for the next two years as a near-term step to defend reservoir levels.
- The four Upper Basin states—Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico—face no mandatory cuts but are being asked to provide up to roughly 200,000 acre-feet through voluntary programs backed by about $100 million in federal incentives.
- Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and state officials have sued the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation to block the plan, arguing it would slash southern Nevada’s allocation and leave Las Vegas short of basic needs.
- Federal officials say the plan is driven by record-low Lake Powell and Lake Mead levels and aims to keep enough water in those reservoirs to operate Glen Canyon and Hoover dams and preserve hydropower generation.
- Cities and farmers across the basin are already adapting by capping growth, reviving wells and delaying plantings, and stakeholders warn the decision will deepen economic, operational and legal uncertainty for utilities, tribes and irrigation districts.