Arizona, California and Nevada Propose Two-Year Colorado River Water Cuts

Arizona, California and Nevada announced a two-year agreement this month to conserve up to 1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2028. The plan follows the driest winter on record and aims to stabilize major reservoirs. Officials described the deal as a short-term measure while longer-term negotiations remain stalled.

The additional savings would bring the total proposed reductions by the three states and Mexico to 3.2 million acre-feet, equivalent to the annual water needs of more than 25 million people. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has already said it will release more water and earlier than usual into Lake Powell to maintain hydropower operations at Glen Canyon Dam.

That facility supplies electricity to more than 350,000 homes. The proposal needs approval from federal officials and state lawmakers. The three states called the plan ambitious and said it would benefit the entire river basin. The Colorado River supports 40 million people across seven U.S. states, two Mexican states and Native American tribes, as well as farmers irrigating millions of acres and 155 utilities that rely on it for hydropower.

Rules governing the water-sharing agreement expire this year. Substantive talks among the states broke down four months ago. Upper Basin states Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico have suggested a mediator is needed, while the Bureau of Reclamation is preparing a contingency plan if no consensus is reached.

Nevada and Arizona would reduce their annual water entitlements from Lake Mead by about one-third under the proposal. California, which holds the largest and most senior water rights, would cut its use by about 13 percent. Details on how the reductions would be implemented are expected by August.

The Central Arizona Project delivers much of Arizona's share through a 336-mile canal system serving 6 million people. Farmers, cities, tribes and industry could face effects. Most of the river's water is used by agriculture, including the Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single user, which grows much of the nation's winter vegetables.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies 19 million people, relies on the river for about 20 percent of its supply. Officials said reducing reliance on the Colorado River would help avoid worse outcomes, though higher water bills for residents and businesses remain possible.

Farmers might leave fields fallow or switch to less water-intensive crops. The plan depends on state and federal funding. One environmental advocate described the pledge as a potential catalyst for further collaboration. Reclamation officials are reviewing the proposal while continuing to seek a broader agreement among all seven states.