Three Southwest states announced Monday they have struck a historic deal to cut millions of gallons of Colorado River water usage over the next four years, about half of which would be completed by next year, in an effort to stave off a crisis at the na...
The deal between California, Arizona and Nevada agrees to cut at least 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026 - around 10% of the states' Colorado River allocation - water that would otherwise be used to irrigate farms, generate hydropower or feed municipal drinking water systems.
The deal marks a major step after months of tense negotiations to save a crashing Colorado River system, which provides water to more than 40 million people in the West. That system has shown alarming water loss in recent years after a multiyear, climate change-fueled drought collided with decades of overuse.
The federal government signaled support for the lower basin deal on Monday by agreeing to withdraw a dramatic environmental analysis it outlined last month that would have forced the three states to cut nearly 2.1 million additional acre-feet of their Colorado River usage in 2024 alone. At the time of its release, top federal officials said publicly they hoped their proposal would spur discussion among states who have spent the past year sparring over cuts.
In a separate letter from all seven basin states to the federal government, the state requested federal officials grant an extension to its period for states and other stakeholders to comment on its analysis, which ends on May 30 - allowing for all states to negotiate on the latest deal.
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