Arizona recently joined Nevada in their efforts to sue the federal government over the new framework of the Colorado River plan.
The Trump Administration’s 2027-28 plan included massive usage cuts in the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada, a reduction of 1.25 million acre-feet.
Out of the three states, Arizona has the highest reduction of 760,000 acre-feet per year. This cut is in the same plan that doesn’t face any government-mandated cuts for the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah, which have been cited as Lower Basin state agitation. The federal plan requires that the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states negotiate new terms every two years over the span of the next decade.
“Those reductions could effectively dry up the Central Arizona Project, as well as many of our on-river communities, and would more than double the water cuts agreed to in the Lower Basin Agreement,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “Arizona believes that taking this action now provides the best stand forward for protecting Arizona water users.”
Nevada was the first to challenge the federal plan legally, with Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo saying that the legal action is “a matter of survival”.
A similar statement came from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, who said, “Arizona has always been willing to do our part to protect the Colorado River, but we will not accept a forced federal plan that solves this crisis on the backs of our families, farmers, and businesses.”
Other states possibly will follow suit, but at the least, Nevada and Arizona will continue to challenge this plan. The proposed plan does not affect southern Utah.
For more information on Gov. Hobbs press release, click here.
Author: Talmage Fairbanks
Photo: Amy Martin, American Rivers
Editor: Lainey Porter
outdoors@suunews.net
