California, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado River
California, Arizona, and Nevada have proposed a three-year voluntary water-saving plan to address declining reservoir levels in the Colorado River system. The plan aims to conserve 3.2 million acre-feet of water through cutbacks and an additional 700,000 acre-feet via conservation efforts and infrastructure improvements. Negotiations among all seven Colorado River basin states remain deadlocked over how to equitably distribute water reductions.
- ▪The Colorado River provides water to approximately 40 million people in the western United States.
- ▪Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs on the river, are at historically low levels due to overuse and climate change.
- ▪The proposed plan requires approval from state water agencies, the Arizona legislature, and cooperation from the federal government.
- ▪Snowpack in the upper Colorado River basin was at 23% of the historical median as of April 1, 2026.
- ▪Dozens of tribes hold water rights to the Colorado River, though many of these rights remain unquantified and underutilized.
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Aerial view of the Colorado River delta meeting the Sea of Cortez at Valle de Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, on 4 April 2025. Photograph: Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenAerial view of the Colorado River delta meeting the Sea of Cortez at Valle de Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, on 4 April 2025. Photograph: Guillermo Arias/AFP/Getty ImagesColorado river crisisCalifornia, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado RiverProposal includes cutbacks for three years as negotiations over future of shrinking reservoirs have been unsuccessfulRoque PlanasSun 3 May 2026 15.32 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe states of California, Arizona and Nevada have proposed voluntary water-saving measures for the next three years aimed at buying time while…
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