Origin: Trump Administration Unveils Colorado Plan

The administration unveiled a 10-year operating framework that will be revisited every two years. In dry years, Arizona, California and Nevada could face collective cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet annually, roughly 40% of their combined allotments.

For the near term, the plan leans on a three-state package that totals 3.2 million acre-feet of reductions through 2028. Under that deal, Arizona would cut about 31%, Nevada 28% and California 12% of their Colorado River use through 2028.

Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming are spared mandatory cuts for now, with voluntary conservation under consideration. The framework also contemplates variable releases from Lake Powell between 5 and 12 million acre-feet and a scenario where Lower Basin reductions reach 1.5 million acre-feet in 2027 and 2028, rising to as much as 3 million a year after 2028.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources