Arizona faces major Colorado River water reductions

The U.S. Interior Department has established a plan for annual Colorado River water reductions for the Lower Basin, affecting Arizona, California, and Nevada. Under a proposed sharing agreement, Arizona would shoulder the largest portion of the cuts, accounting for approximately 61% of the combined reductions. Specifically, Arizona’s annual reduction would be 760,000 acre-feet, compared to 440,000 for California and 50,000 for Nevada.

Researchers warn that these cuts could be unprecedented for the region. If the federal proposal is implemented, supplies could drop to levels not seen since 1935. In Arizona, the reductions heavily impact the Central Arizona Project, which serves the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. While city leaders suggest water can still reach residents through various fixes, they note that such measures will be significantly expensive.

The increased pressure on the river is driven by rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and steady demand across the seven states that utilize the Colorado River. For rural and agricultural areas in Central Arizona, the cuts represent a sharp year-over-year increase in water scarcity, compounding existing issues with declining water tables and land subsidence.