The US federal government announced a significant restriction plan for the Lower Basin states to address the water crisis on the Colorado River. The proposal released by the Bureau of Reclamation calls for Arizona, California, and Nevada to save a total of 3 million acre-feet (about 130 billion cubic feet) of water annually through 2036.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, "The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities, and industries that depend on it."
Cut mechanism and exemptions
Under the plan, reduction amounts will be determined every two years based on basin conditions. The three Lower Basin states will split half of the cuts among themselves; priority water rights will govern the remaining portion.
The Upper Basin states – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming – are exempt from mandatory cuts for now. These states may implement voluntary water reductions primarily among agricultural users.
Mixed reactions from states
Officials in Arizona, which holds the lowest-priority water rights in the Lower Basin, called the federal proposal "flawed." Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said, "These present a host of potentially devastating impacts and massive uncertainty for all of us."
Nevada's governor described the proposed cuts as "unrealistic and devastating," while California officials said the proposal is a significant milestone but not the finish line.
The governors of the Upper Basin states said in a joint statement, "We are hopeful that the new operating rules will better reflect the current water supply, which must form the basis of any viable plan going forward."
Expert assessment and background
According to experts, the cuts will affect agriculture, cities, and tribes, leading to higher water bills, greater reliance on groundwater, and fallowed fields.
Rhett Larson, a water law professor at Arizona State University, noted that cities in the Phoenix metropolitan area are not entirely dependent on the Colorado River and that taps will keep running, but water rates will rise in some areas. Larson cited a 50% increase in residential water prices in Gilbert since April 2025, saying, "We're not running out of water; we're running out of cheap water."
Meanwhile, record-low snowfall has pushed the two key Colorado River reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, to their lowest combined level since 1957. The federal government published the environmental review on Friday, and binding operating rules are expected to be released by October 1.
