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Water Policy

All articles tagged with #water policy

Arizona's Colorado River deal heads to lawmakers — do they have power to change it?
policy11 days ago

Arizona's Colorado River deal heads to lawmakers — do they have power to change it?

Federal planners have moved forward with a Colorado River plan that would sharply cut water for Arizona, California, and Nevada, with Phoenix and Tucson hardest hit. Arizona’s 1980 statute requiring legislative approval for interstate agreements could force a special session to ratify or modify related deals, though experts say the federal plan would proceed regardless of approval. Lawmakers could shape the outcome by approving a three-state deal to share reductions and by tweaking Arizona groundwater rules to adapt to less river water, but they cannot unilaterally block the federal plan.

via KJZZ|
#arizona#colorado-river#legislature
Nevada Sues Federal Government Over Colorado River Cuts, Seeks Court Block
environment11 days ago

Nevada Sues Federal Government Over Colorado River Cuts, Seeks Court Block

Nevada filed a federal lawsuit in Nevada challenging the Trump administration’s Colorado River operating plan, which could reduce the state’s water allocation by as much as 71% annually (up to 213,556 acre-feet over 10 years). Nevada argues the plan unlawfully curtails its share and would inflict devastating economic and environmental harm, asking for an injunction until federal documents reflect the toll on Southern Nevada’s economy. The suit comes as federal water cuts—unprecedented without a basin-wide agreement—face potential participation from California and Arizona, with Upper Basin states largely spared; experts say the legal path could take years and Lake Mead’s levels are projected to drop further.

via Las Vegas Review-Journal|
#colorado-river#environment#environmental-law
Colorado River rules loom as seven-state stalemate endures
environment1 month ago

Colorado River rules loom as seven-state stalemate endures

Federal water managers will unveil new Colorado River rules next week via a Final Environmental Impact Statement as drought-strained supplies tighten and negotiations among the seven basin states remain at an impasse over how to share mandatory cutbacks. The Lower Basin (Arizona, California, Nevada) has floated a plan with some mandatory reductions, while the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) has not, complicating consensus and leaving the door open for a federal plan that could impose allocations and spark litigation. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs urged compromise and broader conservation with the Upper Basin while criticizing the burden on her state.

via KJZZ|
#colorado-river#drought#environment
Colorado River Faces System Crash Without Bold Water Cuts
environment2 months ago

Colorado River Faces System Crash Without Bold Water Cuts

New research warns the Colorado River Basin is approaching a 'system crash' unless states dramatically curb water use. With Lake Mead around 1,049 feet (975 ft is a critical threshold) and Lake Powell’s outflows reduced, buffer storage could quickly vanish, threatening urban supplies and especially agriculture in the Lower Basin. The study argues current negotiations aren’t enough and calls for substantial mandatory cuts across Nevada, California and Arizona, potential upstream-downstream rebalancing, and possible Supreme Court action as drought and climate pressures intensify.

via Las Vegas Review-Journal|
#climate-change#colorado-river#drought
politics3 months ago

Trump taps climate-law funds to tackle Western drought

With the Colorado River at record-low levels, the Trump administration is using Inflation Reduction Act funds to extend Biden-era contracts that paid water users to reduce deliveries, while Interior surveys a long backlog of proposed projects totaling more than $50 billion. Experts say meaningful relief requires permanently reducing agricultural water use, but political and legal obstacles make such changes difficult; in the near term, short-term buyouts and fallowing agreements funded by federal dollars continue to flow, illustrating a crisis-driven approach that may not solve the river’s core imbalance.

via Politico|
#colorado-river#drought#inflation-reduction-act
policy7 months ago

Trump-Era Colorado River Talks Put Western Water Policy to the Test

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convened seven-state governors to press for a new Colorado River agreement as climate-driven drought shrinks flows for 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of farmland. Downstream Arizona, California and Nevada seek mandatory cuts, while upstream Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming push for voluntary measures; no breakthrough emerged ahead of the Feb. 14 deadline, with a five-year interim deal floated as a pragmatic path forward. Looming is the end-of-year rule set and a risk that court battles could decide allocations if a key compact’s tripwire is crossed. Snowpack is grim this winter, threatening Lake Powell hydropower and downstream deliveries, and options include upstream releases or reduced releases to Lake Mead. Politically, the issue intersects with tensions between Trump, Newsom and Polis, complicating negotiations.

via Politico|
#climate-change#colorado-river#interior-department