By AZ Family
Arizona’s top elected officials are coming together to blast a federal plan to manage the Colorado River.
City leaders, business groups, and federal representatives are pushing back hard after the federal government released a sweeping plan Friday that could force the state to absorb a disproportionate share of Colorado River water cuts.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spares Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming from facing mandatory cuts for now. It outlines a framework that could require the Lower Basin states, Arizona, California and Nevada, to collectively reduce water use by up to 3 million acre-feet through 2036.
“This federal plan is unfair and disappointing, but not surprising. We are fortunate that long-term sustainable water planning has been the norm in Arizona for decades. We will continue to thrive even if these potential cuts occur. Implementation of the proposed Lower Basin States Agreement will make things much easier, so we are pushing to make sure that happens. But if there is ever to be long-term certainty on the Colorado River, all seven basin states need to be willing to accept equitable cuts.”
-Rose Law Group partner & Water Law Department Director Riley Snow
