Bipartisan opposition grows against feds’ Colorado River plan

Democratic and Republican leaders across the Lower Basin have opposed the U.S. Department of Interior’s water reduction plan for the Colorado River, while Upper Basin states have widely backed the move.

The department’s and Bureau of Reclamation’s Final Environmental Impact Statement from Friday has received little fanfare in Nevada and Arizona, where the proposal could make for significant water cuts.

The federal Colorado River proposal came after negotiations between the seven U.S. states that rely on the river – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California – missed two deadlines in November 2025 and February 2026. Arizona, Nevada and California are in the Lower Basin. The rest are in the Upper Basin.

The current framework for water management on the river is set to end in December. This comes in a year that has been defined by dry weather, a short and warm winter followed by fierce wildfires across Read Entire Article