US unveils Colorado River plan with cuts for AZ, CA, NV

The U.S. federal government released a new long-term framework on Friday, July 31, 2026, to manage the severely depleted Colorado River, imposing mandatory water use reductions on Arizona, California, and Nevada while leaving four upper basin states unaffected. The plan, issued by the Bureau of Reclamation, aims to stabilize the river system amid a historic 26-year drought and record-low reservoir levels, averting immediate catastrophic cuts but setting the stage for potentially deeper reductions in the future.

The 10-year framework, which will be reviewed every two years through 2036, establishes a flexible operating system for the river's two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. It calls for annual water releases from Lake Powell ranging between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet. Crucially, it envisions annual water shortages of up to 3 million acre-feet for the three lower basin states, a figure nearly double the 1.6 million acre-feet in annual cuts those states had jointly proposed in a short-term plan this past May.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the framework is designed to provide flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving...