Phoenix, AZ – Today, Arizona, California, and Nevada's Colorado River representatives submitted a proposal to the United States Bureau of Reclamation for near-term operations of the Colorado River. Governor Katie Hobbs issued the following statement on the Lower Division States Proposal:
"Arizona is taking action to preserve the Colorado River and secure our state's water future. With this Lower Basin Proposal, we are protecting Arizonans from devastating cuts being forced on us by the federal government, and ensuring our families, farmers, and businesses have the water they need to thrive. Together, Arizona, California, and Nevada are embracing a collaborative approach that preserves the Colorado River and ensures that states are deciding our own future, not the federal government. I thank my fellow Lower Basin states for coming together and showing the country what we can do when we put politics aside to deliver common-sense solutions for our constituents.
"No other state produces more advanced AI chips, critical minerals, guided missile systems, or fresh produce per drop of Colorado River water than Arizona. We feed America, we protect America, and we are building the future of the American economy. This administration has an opportunity to make our country stronger and more prosperous by accepting this proposal and ensuring Arizona communities will have the Colorado River water we need for the future, while we continue to develop the necessary long-term solutions to solve this most pressing issue. I urge the Bureau of Reclamation to thoroughly evaluate and adopt this proposal in the Final EIS."
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Background:
The Lower Basin Proposal is a near-term operational plan to stabilize the Colorado River system through 2028. This plan is designed to implement water conservation from Lower Basin water users that provides stability and benefits to the entire Colorado River Basin. The Proposal equitably allocates water use reductions, establishes conservation programs, addresses infrastructure improvements, and recommends operational triggers for key federal reservoirs.
If adopted by the Bureau of Reclamation, the Lower Basin Proposal seeks to generate up to 4 million acre-feet (AF) of savings from water users in the Lower Basin and Mexico. Furthermore, it includes a proposed "Tribal Pool," the first-ever conservation mechanism in a major Colorado River reservoir dedicated solely to protecting Tribal water supplies.
Crucially, the Lower Basin Proposal presents an alternative to the severe cuts that were threatened by the federal government's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The Bureau of Reclamation's federal plan would have forced Arizona to bear the majority of the Colorado River cutbacks, which would have decimated the water supply delivered through the Central Arizona Project canal, crushing Arizona's economy, communities, businesses, and water users who rely on it.
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By presenting this Proposal, Arizona continues to demonstrate its commitment to collaborative problem-solving, offering the Bureau of Reclamation a viable path to stabilize the Colorado River amidst the ongoing hydrologic crisis. The Lower Basin Proposal serves as a bridge to long-term operations, and Arizona remains dedicated to achieving a comprehensive solution based on shared sacrifice and basin-wide water use reductions across all seven states to ensure the protection of the Colorado River.
The full proposal can be found here.
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