The Bureau of Reclamation, an agency affiliated with the U.S. Department of the Interior, released the final proposal to manage the reservoirs of the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams, which correspond to Lake Powell and Lake Mead. These lakes, fed by the Colorado River, are currently at historically low levels.
This plan suggests a reduction in water consumption for three downstream states—California, Arizona, and Nevada. The proposed reduction could reach 3.7 billion cubic meters annually, equivalent to up to 40% of their joint quotas and largely supports agricultural activities in these regions.
However, the current proposal exempts the states located in the upper basin of the Colorado River—Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming—from any water supply cuts.
The system that depends on the Colorado River is vital, providing both water and electricity to over 40 million inhabitants in the Western United States. Nevertheless, the main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have reached record lows due to intensified drought caused by climate change.
For years, the seven involved states—California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—along with various indigenous communities, have debated how to reduce the use of Colorado River water to prevent the reservoirs from reaching dangerously low levels.
According to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, cited in a statement, the plan partially resolves this dispute, ensuring that the Colorado River system remains 'reliable and resilient' for its dependent industries and communities.
The Secretary emphasized that the proposal offers flexibility to react to variations in hydrological conditions while giving the basin states the chance to seek 'lasting solutions' based on consensus.
The proposal points out that the 'drought conditions of the last 25 years' and the high probability of persistent rainfall scarcity have made establishing new standards 'particularly difficult.' The water volume stored in Lake Powell had not been at such low levels since before the start of the Glen Canyon Dam filling in 1963.
Additionally, the government notes that since the year 2000, water consumption has exceeded the total flow available to the system in most years.
On July 12, data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation indicated that Lake Mead, located between Arizona and Nevada, held only 27% of its capacity, while Lake Powell, located between Utah and Arizona, showed 24%.
Finally, the White House plan does not cover the water supplied by the river to Mexico, which is undergoing direct negotiations with the Trump administration.