Federal plan would spread Colorado River cuts across three states

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has put forward a Colorado River plan that would spread cuts across Arizona, California and Nevada as the lower basin prepares for new operating rules. The river feeds Lake Mead and Lake Powell, supplies drinking water to Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego, and supports a system that Stanford’s Water in the West program estimates serves up to 40 million people, five million acres of farmland and as many as 30 federally recognized Native American tribes.

Several of the agreements that govern the river are set to expire at the end of 2026, including the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines. Reclamation’s July 15, 2026, 24-Month Study still relied on those guidelines and the 2024 near-term operations record of decision. The agency’s Glen Canyon Dam status page, last updated July 17, listed June inflow to Lake Powell at 306,000 acre-feet, 12 percent of average, while June releases from Glen Canyon Dam totaled 508,000 acre-feet.

Arizona, California and Nevada have already been negotiating their own response. On March 6, 2024, the three states proposed a new approach for post-2026 operations. Then, on May 1, 2026, the lower basin states advanced a plan to conserve more than 3.2 million acre-feet through 2028, including at least 700,000 acre-feet of conservation on top of 1.25 million acre-feet in annual lower basin reductions proposed earlier. California will shoulder a smaller share than Arizona, while Nevada has made the next operating guidelines a top priority.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell were each under 30 percent full in July, and shortages affect irrigation districts, city supply plans and hydropower production across the Southwest.