The Trump administration is preparing a 10-year plan to impose water cuts along the Colorado River, a vital water source for California and six other states.

Reservoir levels have been dropping, prompting urgent action. The plan follows previous efforts to encourage states to reach their own agreement.

According to the Los Angeles Times, California, Arizona, and Nevada have announced a short-term plan to save water through 2028. This plan aims to stabilize the river and requires larger water use cuts than previously pledged. The three states have identified over 3.2 million acre-feet of water cutbacks, building on earlier proposals.

The Colorado River, which supports about 35 million people and 5 million acres of farmland, has seen a dramatic decrease in flow since 2000. Climate change is exacerbating dry conditions, with the snowpack in the river's upper watershed measuring just 22% of average this year. This has led to very little runoff reaching the river's depleted reservoirs.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the plan from Arizona, California, and Nevada needs approval from federal officials and state lawmakers. The states have called the plan ambitious and far-reaching, with benefits to the entire river basin. The river supports 40 million people across seven U.S. states, two Mexican states, and Native American tribes.

Negotiations among the states have mostly broken down, with the Upper Basin states suggesting a mediator is needed. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is moving ahead with a plan in case the states don't reach consensus in time. The American Prospect highlights the complexities of managing the Colorado River Basin, with states struggling to agree on water allocations.

The Trump administration's plan comes as the Colorado River's reservoirs face critically low levels. Lake Mead is now 31% full, while Lake Powell is just 24% full. Emergency federal actions are underway to save Lake Powell as the crisis intensifies. The plan aims to address these dry conditions in the near term, with hopes of reaching a long-term agreement among the seven states.

Monks & Merrill