Nevada Files Lawsuit Challenging the Administration's New Colorado River Water Cut Plan

Nevada has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the new water management plan issued by the administration for the Colorado River. The plan mandates a roughly 20% reduction in water supply for the lower basin states of Nevada, Arizona, and California over the next two years. Governor Joe Lombardo argued that the upper-basin states—Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming—were not required to contribute any water in the initial framework. This has sparked a conflict as the lower-basin states demand that their northern neighbors share the burden of the declining water levels. While the administration manages the flow of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the states have struggled to reach a consensus on mandatory cuts. The lawsuit seeks to prevent a catastrophic outcome where the courts decide the management of the river, which supplies water to 40 million people and fuels $1.4 trillion in economic activity. Arizona officials also noted that the state may need to legislature approval for specific multi-state agreements to soften the blow of the federal mandates.

Sources

• Los Angeles Times
  Nevada sues Trump administration over its Colorado River plan
• The New York Times
  America’s Desert Metropolis Is on the Short List to Lose Water
• Reuters
  Nevada sues to block Trump administration's Colorado River plan
• KJZZ
  A new Colorado River plan is heading for Arizona lawmakers. Do they have the power to change it?
• Colorado Public Radio
  Colorado is spared from mandatory cuts as feds finalize Colorado River rules for next two years