U.S. proposes Colorado River water cuts for California, Arizona and Nevada

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has proposed a new Colorado River operating framework that could require Arizona, California and Nevada to cut their combined water use by up to 3 million acre-feet a year through 2036, as federal officials try to stabilize a river system strained by overuse, drought and climate change. The proposal would make the actual reductions depend on basin conditions every two years, allowing deeper cuts in drier periods. California, Nevada and Arizona would split half the cuts under a plan they already developed, with priority water rights governing the remainder. The plan would spare Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming from mandatory reductions for now, allowing voluntary cuts in the Upper Basin primarily among agricultural users. The Colorado River supports more than 40 million people in seven U.S. states, several tribal nations and Mexico, and feeds reservoirs that also generate hydropower. Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at their lowest combined level since 1957, and experts have warned the system is approaching levels at which hydropower production could be at risk. The proposal follows years of deadlocked interstate negotiations and threats of litigation ahead of the expiration of some long-standing river management rules at the end of 2026. Binding operating guidelines are expected by October 1. Reaction was divided. Arizona officials called the proposal flawed and warned that 3 million acre-feet of Lower Basin cuts would devastate the state's water users and economy. Nevada's governor described the reductions as unrealistic and devastating, while California officials called the document an important milestone but not the finish line. Upper Basin governors gave the proposal a favorable initial assessment. Experts say the cuts could lead to higher water prices, greater reliance on groundwater, more wastewater treatment and desalination, and some farmland being left unplanted. Arizona water officials said the pain would be significant, while Arizona State University professor Rhett Larson said the region is not running out of water, but running out of cheap water.