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Colorado River plan could trigger deep Arizona cuts
Federal officials released a proposal outlining new rules for how the Colorado River will be managed as severe drought continues, and Arizona could be impacted the most.
PHOENIX - Arizona and two other states would take less water from the Colorado River under a new proposal announced by the federal government.
What we know:
The proposal released on July 31 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says Arizona, California and Nevada could face collective cuts up to 3 million acre-feet through 2036, which is about enough water to serve more than 25 million people a year, the Associated Press reports.
Visitors look out at a white "bathtub ring" of mineral-stained rocks left by higher water levels in The Narrows upstream of the Hoover Dam on July 25, 2026, in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Arizona. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The plan would also allow annual releases between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet from Lake Powell.
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are temporarily spared from facing mandatory water cuts.
Governor Hobbs' statement on proposed water cuts
What they're saying:
"Today, the federal government released a broad range of alternatives for how the Colorado River will be managed over the next ten years. Within that range is the opportunity for the federal government to adopt the commonsense, compromise proposal put forward by Lower Basin States for 2027 and 2028. Our proposal is one of the largest conservation programs in Colorado River history and builds on Arizona’s decades-long commitment to responsible water stewardship. While this FEIS still contains unacceptable options that include the federal government forcing Arizona to take the majority of draconian water cutbacks, implementing the Lower Basin agreement would protect Arizona from massive water cuts, distribute reductions more fairly across the Lower Basin States, and provide stability and protection to the water supply that our communities rely upon.
As the federal government finalizes their operating plans for 2027 and 2028, my administration will be working around the clock advocating for an approach that protects the stability of the system, distributes water reductions equitably, and ensures water security for all Colorado River water users. I remain steadfast in my commitment to a long-term Colorado River solution that ensures every state in the system shares in its conservation.
Arizona provides the agricultural produce, critical minerals, weapons defense systems and cutting-edge semiconductors that feed America, protect America and fuel America’s high-tech economy. No other state in the Colorado River basin can say the same. We developed the Lower Basin Proposal to increase water resiliency for the region and ensure that no single state was bearing the burden alone. Inequitable, federally imposed cuts to our Colorado River water allocation will be unacceptable to Arizonans, and will put every American at risk. Previous federal proposals to slash Arizona’s Colorado River water would be devastating for our nation as we work to compete with China in the AI race, onshore critical supply chains, feed the country, and rebuild our depleted missile stockpile. I will continue making that case to the federal government and fighting relentlessly to protect Arizona’s fair share of the Colorado River so our families can feel confident we will have the water we need to turn on the taps, nourish our crops, and grow our economy well into the future."
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a July 31 report by the Associated Press and a statement from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs.