Federal and state officials are taking significant steps to address the water scarcity crisis in the Colorado River basin, which supports several U.S. states. A short-term agreement has been backed by federal officials to conserve water drawn from the Colorado River, aiming to prevent reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell from reaching critically low levels. This plan, approved by President Joe Biden's Department of the Interior, involves states agreeing on water cuts before proposing guidelines for post-2026 management. The agreement is seen as a significant milestone, with an emergency plan expected to reduce water consumption by at least 3 million acre-feet in the coming years. Water managers from the Lower Colorado Basin states - Nevada, California, and Arizona - have issued a joint statement highlighting the plan's role in providing stability for long-term solutions. However, the path to a long-term conservation strategy is fraught with challenges, including disagreements among states over water cuts, the impact of climate change on the river's flow, and concerns over the Salton Sea. Gene Shawcroft from the Upper Colorado River Commissioners provided an update on the discussions concerning shared usage of the river.
Nevada and six other U.S. states that draw water from the Colorado River basin are suggesting new ways to determine how the increasingly scarce resource is divvied up when the river can't provide what it historically promised. https://t.co/6DvrzwFatK
Competing Colorado River plans show seven states can’t agree on how to manage critical water supply https://t.co/4HLjufy1bl
I’ve long said the Colorado River is all of ours; we thrive or fail together – and failure is not an option. Today’s proposal from Arizona, California, and Nevada presents a long-term approach for the sustainable operations of the Colorado River. More: https://t.co/k1eY2815pT
Lake Mead water update as final Colorado River plan released https://t.co/s2aJkLb3c3
Arizona, other states in Colorado River basin pitch new ways to absorb shortages https://t.co/MI2PoEgiI0
Pretty amazing that the 7 Colorado River states ignore the biggest threat to the rivers flows: continued climate change will mean a relentless decline in how much water they can get from the river. The longer they fail to act the less water they will have https://t.co/0a7jQRWMwg
There has been a breakdown on the way toward a long-term plan to save the shrinking Colorado River. Negotiations over plans to conserve its waters starting in 2027 have bifurcated. https://t.co/pV1OqRy396
The Colorado River is drying up. On Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced a short-term solution to a long problem, announcing conservation efforts with voluntary agreements designed to conserve more water. | By @Amyjoi16 https://t.co/jnCI17Tjjv
Three Western states propose more water cuts to save Colorado River https://t.co/hqNQaIf7z0 https://t.co/hbgHtMgPEI
Addressing the historic megadrought and conserving precious water resources is going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach. Read my statement on the latest proposal to protect the Colorado River Basin's critical water supply for future generations⤵️ https://t.co/2kaY0GL3hX
Lake Powell and Lake Mead would likely hold more water after a new Colorado River plan released on Tuesday is fully in place. https://t.co/0XhEnAHs25
Big Colorado River news — Today, Western states that use the river's water submitted competing plans for how it should be managed in the future. The sticking point? Which states should have to cut their water use. https://t.co/P3qxMIptao
Utah says it shouldn’t have to take Colorado River cuts. Other states say it needs to. https://t.co/FoIfN53Bnj
Upper and Lower Basin states have filed dueling proposals to the government for how to distribute cuts in Colorado River water as the race to update expiring guidelines picks up before the end of 2026, the groups announced Wednesday. https://t.co/K7oKeV5tEL
The Colorado River is a critical water source for Utah. I was glad to receive an update from the Upper Colorado River Commissioners—including Utah’s Gene Shawcroft—on their latest discussions concerning our states’ shared usage of the river. https://t.co/EVOxmzqZnX
After a wet year and a push to conserve water in the Southwest, federal officials say the risk of the Colorado River’s reservoirs declining to critically low levels has substantially eased for the next couple of years. https://t.co/r64jK9Z4NW
New proposal puts Colorado River water-saving burden on Lower States https://t.co/xMHiFVVvOd
Water managers for the Lower Colorado Basin states - Nevada, California and Arizona - issued a joint statement saying the final plan would provide the stability necessary to focus on long-term solutions. https://t.co/4N1GmKyaq3
'Significant milestone' reached in short-term Colorado River plan. Left unsaid by feds is that rare fish and bird are delaying a key piece. They also okayed worse near-term impacts on #SaltonSea area residents. https://t.co/YdQNrwkReL via @mydesert
Federal officials are enacting a "significant" emergency Colorado River plan they believe will reduce water consumption by at least 3 million acre-feet over the next few years. Link: https://t.co/kRb8jyse8n
President Joe Biden’s Department of Interior approved a plan where states agreed on Colorado River cuts before they propose guidelines for after 2026. https://t.co/C3lH1CTo9S
As the climate changes, who bears the burden of a shrinking river? Colorado River states to submit competing proposals ahead of deadline for draft of new rules. https://t.co/tB1m9Goqxd
Federal officials are backing a short-term agreement to conserve water drawn from the Colorado River, one that they say will prevent reservoirs like Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels in the near future. https://t.co/4N1GmKyIfB