Colorado River Plan Calls for 40% Cuts to Arizona, California, Nevada

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has unveiled a preliminary 10‑year water‑sharing plan for the Colorado River basin aimed at averting a catastrophic decline in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The proposal would require the three Lower Basin states—Arizona, California and Nevada—to reduce their annual water use by up to 3 million acre‑feet, roughly a 40% cut to current allocations. These mandatory reductions are designed to keep reservoir levels from falling to critically low points that would jeopardize water security and hydroelectric power generation.

The plan differs from the expiring 20‑year framework by instituting biennial reviews that could adjust cut levels based on the latest hydrological data. Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming) are not subject to mandatory cuts in this iteration, though they could be drawn in if conditions worsen. State officials warn the cuts could halve water deliveries to the Central Arizona Project and affect 6‑9 million households, highlighting the severity of the drought challenge confronting the seven states that share the river.