The bitter battle over the Colorado River: New proposal is ‘devastating’ to Arizona

Key Points:

• The U.S. Interior Department released a preferred Colorado River management plan to resolve a two-year stalemate over water cuts among seven Western states, setting new guidelines as current low-water rules expire on Oct. 1; if states remain deadlocked, the federal government will impose the plan.
• Upper Basin states (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming) support the proposal, which largely spares them from mandatory cuts, while Lower Basin states (Arizona, California, Nevada) oppose it, arguing the plan unfairly places most water reduction burdens on them, especially Arizona.
• The plan calls for up to 3 million acre-feet of water cuts in the Lower Basin through 2036, primarily from Arizona (60%), California (35%), and Nevada (4%), while the Upper Basin could voluntarily reduce use by 200,000 acre-feet; it maintains legal water allotments but establishes operating rules to reduce actual usage amid ongoing drought.
• Arizona officials and lawmakers have condemned the proposal as devastating and inequitable, threatening litigation, while Upper Basin governors express cautious optimism, emphasizing continued negotiations and a desire to avoid court battles.
• The federal guidelines will be revisited every two years to adjust for changing conditions, with the Interior Department aiming to ensure the Colorado River's reliability for 40 million Americans despite ongoing drought and declining reservoir levels.