By Reagan Priest | Yellow Sheet
Arizona’s water leaders are preparing to implement a Lower Basin proposal aimed at stabilizing the Colorado River system in the near-term as a long-term sharing agreement remains elusive.
On Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Water Resources hosted an information session to discuss how the state will begin to implement the plan crafted by leaders from the three Lower Basin states. It aims to reduce Colorado River water usage from Arizona, California and Nevada by 1.25 million acre-feet annually between 2026 and 2028.
Under the plan, Arizona would be expected to reduce its water usage by 760,000 acre-feet per year. ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke said during the session Tuesday that a cut will not be easy, but it is a better solution than any other on the table.
“I just remind everybody, the specter floating around in the background is without some collaborative plan, potentially in the Lower Basin, that’s acceptable to us and adopted by the federal government, they could cut 3 million acre-feet a year, which is an extremely draconian outcome for the state of Arizona,” Buschatzke said.
