Arizona leaders propose deeper Colorado River water cuts
Updated
Updated · Arizona's Family · May 9
Arizona leaders propose deeper Colorado River water cuts
4 articles · Updated · Arizona's Family · May 9
The plan offers a 28% reduction for Arizona, as Senator Mark Kelly says Colorado is resisting a 2% cut after one of the driest winters on record.
The river serves 40 million people, and Arizona leaders say farmers, tribes and homeowners using the Central Arizona Project face urgent uncertainty over how reductions will be shared.
Federal approval is required before the plan can proceed, with states aiming to settle allocations by August as falling levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell threaten hydropower and tighter restrictions.
Can billion-dollar desalination plants save the West, or are drastic cuts to America's food-growing heartland now inevitable?
With a century-old water pact broken by climate change, will the Supreme Court be forced to redraw water rights in the American West?
Facing the Colorado River Crisis: Arizona’s 3 Million Acre-Feet Conservation Plan, Legal Battles, and the Push for Sustainable Water Management
Overview
In May 2026, Arizona, California, and Nevada launched a Short-Term Water Conservation Plan to address the severe water shortages in the Colorado River Basin. This plan marks a major step by the Lower Basin states, aiming to stabilize the river’s water supply and prevent further decline. The states have committed to significant reductions in their water allocations—Arizona by 27%, Nevada by 17%, and California by 10%—with the goal of conserving a total of 3 million acre-feet by the end of 2026. These real actions reflect a unified effort to secure the region’s water future.