Arizona will see its Colorado River water allocation reduced by 760,000 acre-feet annually over the next two years, under new operating guidelines the federal government finalized and announced on Friday.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that the rules call for reduced water deliveries to Lower Basin states for the next two years.
Arizona's reduction is under the states' proposed sharing agreement.
California would reduce deliveries by 440,000 acre-feet. Nevada would reduce its share by 50,000 acre-feet.
The guidelines also call for the Lowe Basin states to voluntarily conserve an additional 700,000 acre-feet over two years.
The changes come as the Colorado River system reaches historic lows.
The combined water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead have not been this low since before Lake Powell began filling in the 1960s.
Federal officials say the new framework is designed to protect critical infrastructure, inlcluding Glen Canyon and Hoover dams.
The guidelines will be used to manage the river for the next 10 years, while states and tribes including the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Parker continue negotiating longer-term water agreements.
Stakeholders and Arizona elected officials weighed in on the guidelines.
In a released statement, Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources said "After more than three years of difficult negotiations over post-2026 Colorado River Operations guidelines, Arizona and the Lower Basin states have created a level of stability for the Colorado River system with the adoption of the 2027-2028 operating guidelines in the Record of Decision. While the framework for years 3-10 continues to be of concern, we applaud the Department of the Interior for clarifying the decision-making process for operations beyond 2028. That outcome allows for continued negotiations for years 3-10 while preserving our ability to protect Arizona’s legal rights to Colorado River water.
We will continue to work with our partners in Arizona, the Lower Basin and Interior, to finalize the agreements necessary to implement the Lower Basin Plan. With the Record of Decision, the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines and the supporting agreements in place, we can focus on a longer-term, equitable, basin-wide outcome that includes shared sacrifices along with our Upper Basin partners in an effort to avoid protracted litigation. The actions in the Lower Basin in recent decades to protect the system have demonstrated how much we can accomplish when we all join together as part of the solution."
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said “I’m glad the federal government has chosen to implement the Lower Basin’s water allocation plan for 2027 and 2028. With this plan, we saved Arizona from forced federal cuts that would have crippled our economy and America’s national security. The 77 percent cut to CAP’s water supply that the federal government considered in January would have been an unacceptable disaster. Instead, we’ve united as a Lower Basin to deliver two years of stability that ensures Arizona families and businesses will have the water they need to thrive and continue our strong economic growth..."
“I will continue fighting relentlessly to protect Arizona’s fair share of the Colorado River. As long as I’m governor, Arizona will stand up to the Upper Basin states who are undermining the stability of the Colorado River system and ignoring the Law of the River. Arizona stands prepared to protect our water by any legal means necessary and won’t back down in defense of our rights.”
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Stay tuned to KAWC for the latest in Colorado River negotiations.
