Arizona joins Nevada lawsuit to block Colorado River water cuts

Arizona has joined a lawsuit filed by Nevada against the U.S. Department of the Interior to challenge federally mandated water cuts to the Colorado River. Governor Katie Hobbs announced the state's intervention, stating that the federal plan fails to hold Upper Basin states—including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico—accountable for delivering water to Lake Mead.

Arizona officials expressed concern that the current federal framework could result in Lower Basin cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year. The state, which faces some of the most significant near-term reductions, aims to protect its legal water rights while maintaining a separate two-year agreement with California and Nevada. The legal challenge follows a framework released by the Department of the Interior in August, which Nevada has argued disproportionately impacts the Lower Basin.