Overview
- Federal officials said a draft environmental impact statement outlining options for post‑2026 river operations will arrive within weeks, with a final package targeted for spring or summer if states cannot reach consensus by Feb. 14.
- Bureau of Reclamation leaders stressed they prefer to facilitate a seven‑state agreement rather than dictate terms, warning that litigation would waste time and money as hydrologic conditions worsen.
- California reported using about 3.76 million acre‑feet this year, its lowest Colorado River take since 1949, and outlined a flexible, phased framework while signaling willingness to set aside some legal positions.
- Hydrology remains bleak, with Lake Powell roughly 27% full and Lake Mead near the low 30s, and federal projections show Powell inflows this winter at just 44% to 73% of average.
- A new research report warned the basin is “out of time,” urging durable, climate‑realistic cuts, as tribes and environmental groups pressed for greater transparency and safeguards for rights and ecosystems.