Overview
- Reclamation’s draft environmental impact statement outlines five operational alternatives for the river after current guidelines expire at the end of 2026, including a supply-driven option that can be implemented without interstate agreements.
- Federal officials did not name a preferred alternative and reiterated their goal of a consensus-based plan, with any eventual state agreement to be fully analyzed in the final EIS.
- The public comment period runs Jan. 16 to March 2, with virtual briefings scheduled for Jan. 29 and Feb. 10, and officials targeting a final decision before Oct. 1, 2026.
- Negotiations among the seven basin states remain stalled, and Interior has set Feb. 14 as the target for the states to present a deal.
- The Colorado River supports about 40 million people and 30 tribal nations, while key reservoirs sit low—Lake Mead around 33% full and Lake Powell about 27%—raising risks to municipal supply, agriculture, ecosystems and hydropower.