Federal Government Finalizes Colorado River Water Rules, Imposing Cuts on Lower Basin States
The federal government has finalized new rules for operating the Colorado River's largest reservoirs for the next two years, effective October 1. This plan, replacing guidelines from 2007, mandates significant water supply cuts for California, Arizona, and Nevada, collectively known as the Lower Basin states. These states will lose 1.25 million acre-feet of water annually, impacting tribes, agriculture, and major cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles. Colorado and other Upper Basin states are spared from mandatory cuts, instead developing a smaller, voluntary conservation plan funded by the federal government. The decision comes as Lake Powell and Lake Mead are at historically low levels, with Lake Powell nearing 'minimum power pool,' a point where it cannot generate hydroelectric power. 
