White House Proposes New Measures to Dramatically Cut Colorado River Water Use for 40 Million Americans

The Biden administration has released an environmental analysis of competing plans for how seven Western states and tribes reliant on the Colorado River should cut their water use. The Interior Department released an environmental review on Tuesday that homes in on three options for the Colorado River after the seven states and tribes that depend on its waters failed to reach an agreement to determine how cuts would fall.

The review did not state which option should be chosen, but defended the Interior Department’s authority to make sure basic needs such as drinking water and hydropower are met. One option would split cuts based on seniority of water rights, meaning California — the oldest user of the river — would see minimal changes while Arizona and Nevada would face sharp limitations.

The White House has proposed new measures to dramatically cut how much water states can draw from the Colorado River, in an effort to protect the drought-stricken resource used by 40 million Americans. California and some tribes along the river are advocating for their high-priority rights to the river’s water, which they use for drinking and farming.

The Interior Department has not yet made a decision on which option to choose, but is expected to make a decision soon. In the meantime, the seven states and tribes reliant on the Colorado River will continue to monitor the situation and wait for the Interior Department’s decision.