US government planning dramatic Colorado River water cuts due to drought, overuse

Key Points:

• The U.S. government has proposed a new 10-year water-sharing plan for the Colorado River that could reduce water supplies by up to 40% for Arizona, California, and Nevada to address severe drought conditions.
• The plan suggests cutting water use by up to 3 million acre-feet annually across these states, nearly double the 1.6 million acre-feet reduction previously offered by the states themselves.
• Water cuts would be based on the "priority of the law of the river," meaning California has the highest priority under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, potentially leaving Arizona's Central Arizona Project with significantly reduced water flows.
• The proposal aims to maintain water levels in the critically low reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, with total releases ranging from 5 million to 12 million acre-feet per year, depending on conditions.
• Federal officials emphasized the plan's flexibility and stability, with water cuts to be reviewed every two years and implemented either through existing law or state agreements amid ongoing drought challenges.