Nevada Sues Over New Colorado River Plan’s ‘Devasting’ Cuts
Colorado River, Arizona (WRRC Photo Contest)
Sandy Shiloh
Nevada officials filed a lawsuit on August 24 challenging the federal government’s plan to deal with water shortages on the Colorado River. The plan, which was released on July 31 and officially adopted three days prior to the suit, includes heavy mandatory water cuts for the Lower Basin States of Nevada, Arizona, and California. No cuts were imposed on the Upper Basin States of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
The federal plan would cut Nevada’s allocation by 50,000 acre-feet, or 17%, over the next two years starting in 2027. Beyond two years, the cuts could become severe. If the river’s condition worsens, the state stands to lose up to 71% of its allocation, or 213,556 acre-feet. A cut of that size would decrease Nevada’s allocation below its actual use, which was 198,000 acre-feet in 2025. The state already has the smallest river allocation of any Basin State, at 1.8% of the Basin’s total apportionment.
The Colorado River Commission of Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the Nevada state government signed on to the suit. They argue that the federal government failed to consider an alternative plan put forward by the Lower Basin States that they say would have better complied with the Law of the River. They also argue that the federal government did not consider the environmental, socioeconomic, and human impacts that the cuts would have on southern Nevada in “any meaningful way.” The plan would “[sacrifice] the health and safety of Nevadans before requiring equal water responsibility for our shared water resources from the Upper Basin,” said Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo in an official statement.
The suit calls for an injunction to stop the 2027–2036 Colorado River Guidelines from being implemented.
The other Lower Basin States also face significant cuts. In the short term, California will lose 440,000 acre-feet per year, or 10% of its allocation, and Arizona will take the largest cut at 760,000 acre-feet per year, or about 27% of its allocation. Arizona’s larger reduction is due to the low priority of the Central Arizona Project’s water rights.
The extent to which states and municipalities will feel the effects of the cuts depends on their relative reliance on Colorado River water. Las Vegas, Nevada’s most populous city, gets 90% of its water from the Colorado, whereas Phoenix gets 40% of its supply from the river.
According to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, the plan could bring “two years of stability,” but is not a long-term solution. “The Upper Basin’s refusal to negotiate any reductions to their water usage imperils the stability of the Colorado River system,” Hobbs said. “They should be held accountable for their reckless actions, not rewarded by the federal government for irresponsible behavior.”