The three states — which make up the Colorado River’s Lower Basin — rolled out the short-term proposal after a winter that left the basin with historically low snowpack heading into the irrigation and evaporation season. The total pledged savings through 2028 would reach roughly 3.2 million acre-feet when combined with cuts already committed by the three states and Mexico, the Associated Press reported.
“We have kind of a crisis situation that this past winter has created,” said Tom Buschatzke, Arizona’s lead negotiator, speaking earlier this week. “We need to do everything we can, and that’s what our plan does, to find a short-term fix.”
The Colorado River supports 40 million people across seven U.S. states, two Mexican states, and more than two dozen Native American tribes. Farmers rely on it to irrigate millions of acres, and some 155 utilities draw hydropower from dams along the system. Under the Lower Basin proposal, Nevada and Arizona would take roughly one-third less than their annual allocation from Lake Mead, while California would reduce its use by about 13 percent.
How the reductions will be distributed among users has not been settled, but the states said details would come by August. The Central Arizona Project, which delivers water through a 336-mile canal system to 6 million people in central and southern Arizona, could see cuts affecting farmers, cities, tribes, and industry. The Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single user of Colorado River water and the source of much of the country’s winter vegetables, may also see reductions.
“Reducing reliance on the Colorado River will stave off worse situations,” said Mark Gold, a board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies 19 million people and depends on the river for roughly 20 percent of its supply. Gold cautioned, however, that “there’s still a risk,” and noted that a diminished supply could mean higher water bills for residents and businesses.
Chronic overuse, a more-than-two-decade drought, and rising temperatures linked to climate change have steadily drawn down Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Both reservoirs have declined to levels that threaten hydropower production and downstream water delivery. The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced plans to release as much as one-third of the water from Flaming Gorge reservoir, upstream of Lake Powell, to keep electricity generating at Glen Canyon Dam. The dam’s hydropower serves more than 350,000 homes.
The three-state deal requires approval from federal officials and state lawmakers. Reclamation officials said they are reviewing the Lower Basin proposal while continuing to emphasize that a broader, seven-state agreement remains the goal.
Kevin Moran, a spokesperson for the Environmental Defense Fund, expressed cautious optimism that the reduction pledge could break the negotiating impasse. “The Colorado River is tanking,” Moran said. “We are at the 11th hour in needing to have strong and collaborative solutions to protect the health of the river.”
Upper Basin states — Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico — offered measured support. “While the Lower Division States have made progress, more is needed to protect the Colorado River System now and into the future,” Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s lead negotiator, said in a statement. “These differences highlight the urgent need to come back together with the help of a mediator.”
Some Upper Basin water users have already begun reducing diversions earlier in the season, with some receiving only 14 percent or less of their annual allocations. Water-saving measures across the region may include farmers leaving fields fallow or replacing thirsty crops like alfalfa with drought-tolerant alternatives.
The Lower Basin plan still faces hurdles: federal funding is necessary to compensate farmers and other users who voluntarily cut back, and state legislatures must sign off on the framework. If the states cannot reach a broader agreement, the Bureau of Reclamation has warned it may impose its own plan.