Arizona Joins Nevada's Colorado River Lawsuit to Block Federal Cuts to Lower Basin Water Supplies
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) announced in Phoenix on October 16 that the State of Arizona has intervened in a lawsuit brought by Nevada against the U.S. Department of the Interior, to hold the federal government accountable for failing to enforce Upper Basin water delivery obligations to Lake Mead and to prevent cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year.
"Arizona has always been willing to do our part to protect the Colorado River, but we will not accept a forced federal plan that solves this crisis on the backs of our families, farmers, and businesses," Hobbs said. "We are drawing a line in the sand. I am taking this legal action alongside Nevada because the federal government refuses to hold the Upper Basin accountable for the water deliveries they owe Arizona, and is threatening to force draconian cuts that go well beyond the Lower Basin Agreement." She said Arizona will continue working alongside Nevada and California to implement the Lower Basin Agreement.
ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke said intervention in the Nevada lawsuit is necessary for Arizona to protect its legal rights to Colorado River water while preserving a path toward a collaborative outcome with California and Nevada. In joining the lawsuit, Arizona will seek to preserve the two-year Lower Basin Agreement while ensuring the federal government delivers to Lake Mead the water that belongs to Arizona and the Lower Basin states.
Nevada officials say the federal operating plan, finalized in August and effective October 1, requires the three Lower Basin states to cut water use while setting no mandatory reductions for the Upper Basin states; Nevada, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water Authority filed suit on August 24, challenging the federal environmental review process. Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger said Arizona shares Nevada's concerns about flaws in the review; Nevada officials say the rules could cut up to 71% of the state's Colorado River supply.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons：Lake Mead-2022 (ASTER).jpg（Public domain，NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team），https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Mead-2022_(ASTER).jpg
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