Arizona, California and Nevada reached a water-savings deal Friday night to stabilize the Colorado River through 2028, officials said. The plan calls for more than 3.2 million acre-feet of cutbacks among the Lower Basin states to address declining reservoir levels and create a strategic water pool.
This represents a significant increase from a previous proposal that aimed for 1.25 million acre-feet in annual savings. The total amount of water saved is equivalent to the volume needed to supply Tucson, Arizona, for 32 years, officials said.
The plan, announced Friday night by negotiators for California, Arizona and Nevada, calls for more than 3.2 million acre-feet of water cutbacks across the Lower Basin states through 2028, according to a written statement from the three states.
Under the agreement, California will reduce its water use by about 13% in 2027 and 2028. The initial 700,000 acre-feet of cutbacks will be split with Arizona and California each reducing by 300,000 acre-feet, while Nevada will cut back by 100,000 acre-feet. Arizona and Nevada agreed to proportionally larger reductions than California, according to the states’ announcement. The cutbacks are designed to delay additional mandatory reductions that had been anticipated under earlier plans.
JB Hamby, chairman of California’s Colorado River Board, said in the statement, “We have stepped up to establish a leadership position to protect the system for another two years.” He added that without these actions, “the system will continue to decline.” The three states sent their proposal in a letter to U.S. Interior Department officials, emphasizing that “quick and decisive action is urgently required” to address the declining reservoir levels.
The agreement creates a common pool of saved water that can be strategically deployed if reservoir levels drop to critically low elevations. This pool would help stabilize reservoirs such as Lake Mead by allowing releases from Glen Canyon Dam when surplus water is available. The states said the plan requires federal partnership and approval from the Interior Department, as well as authorization from the Arizona Legislature and water boards in Nevada and California.
The new plan was developed after months of deadlocked negotiations among all seven Colorado River states, which include Upper Basin states Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Those states had previously sought federal mediation to break the impasse. The Lower Basin states’ proposal is being presented as an “olive branch” to the other states in hopes of reaching a broader consensus on managing the river’s limited supplies.
State negotiators stressed that the plan is intended to provide additional time to develop a longer-term approach involving all seven states. The agreement also includes a separate proposal addressing water use by Arizona tribal users, officials said. However, implementation depends on securing a coordinated operational package and sufficient funding from the federal government.
The Colorado River system supplies water to more than 40 million people across the American West. Declining reservoir levels have raised concerns about the sustainability of current water allocations. The Lower Basin states’ announcement aims to stabilize the river system through 2028 by reducing water use and creating a strategic reserve to buffer against future shortages.
The Interior Department cannot implement the plan without the approval of the Lower Basin states, according to the states’ statement. Officials said the proposal represents a leadership effort by California, Arizona and Nevada to protect the river system while continuing to work toward a comprehensive, long-term solution involving all stakeholders.
Comments are closed.