Colorado River Water Management Plan Nears Federal Approval

Federal officials are close to releasing a new water‑management plan for the Colorado River, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. An Environmental Impact Statement is expected within days, followed by a final version slated for October. The draft would set post‑2026 operating guidelines for the river’s two major reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and outline a two‑year operating plan within a ten‑year framework.

The plan follows years of stalled negotiations among the seven basin states – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Arizona and Nevada – that rely on the river for irrigation, municipal supplies, hydropower and recreation. About 40 million people depend on its flow. Stakeholders, including the Southern Nevada Water Authority and environmental groups, see the upcoming federal proposal as a step forward, though they caution it is not a comprehensive solution to ongoing drought and over‑use.