US proposes cuts to Colorado River water use for three western states

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has put forth a proposal that could significantly reduce water consumption for three key Western states drawing from the Colorado River. Arizona, California, and Nevada may be compelled to collectively decrease their water usage by as much as 3 million acre-feet annually through 2036, a move intended to avert a deepening crisis in the vital waterway.

This federal proposal spares four other states from mandatory cuts for the time being. It is designed to be flexible, allowing for deeper reductions during drier periods while granting the states more time to collaboratively devise long-term management strategies for the dwindling resource. The potential cuts are substantial, equivalent to the total annual allocation for Arizona and Nevada combined, and enough to supply over 25 million people each year.

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum emphasized the department's responsibility to ensure the river system's reliability for the millions who depend on it. Under the proposal, California, Nevada, and Arizona would share half the required cuts based on an existing plan. The remaining reductions would be determined by priority water rights, potentially impacting agriculture, urban water supplies, and tribal communities, leading to higher water prices and increased reliance on groundwater.

The proposal arrives after years of stalled negotiations among the states and the threat of litigation. It also comes as the river's two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at their lowest combined levels since 1957, jeopardizing hydropower production. Decades of overuse, exacerbated by rising temperatures, drought, and climate change, have strained the river's capacity, which can no longer meet the demands projected in 1922.

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The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it.