“I felt like litigation was more likely until this Lower Basin states agreement got proposed, and I feel like it’s cooled the temperature quite a bit on the litigation front,” said Riley Snow, the head of Rose Law Group’s water law department.
By Reagan Priest | Arizona Capitol Times
The federal government will adopt Arizona’s preferred plan for Colorado River reductions over the next two years, but more drastic cuts could still be on the horizon.
The Bureau of Reclamation released its 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines and Record of Decision for post-2026 operations Friday, incorporating voluntary water usage reductions proposed by the Lower Basin States.
Under the plan, Arizona will reduce its water usage by 760,000 acre-feet over the next two years. That amounts to a 31% reduction in Arizona’s Colorado River allocation, which water stakeholders note is much more palatable than the federal government’s proposed 77% cut.
“With this plan, we saved Arizona from forced federal cuts that would have crippled our economy and America’s national security,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement. “The 77% cut to [the Central Arizona Project’s] water supply that the federal government considered in January would have been an unacceptable disaster.”
But Arizona isn’t out of the woods just yet. The Bureau of Reclamation’s final environmental impact statement on Colorado River operations suggests reevaluating guidelines every two years. That leaves a 77% cut on the table after 2028.