California, Arizona, and Nevada have proposed a regional water conservation plan to reduce usage from the Colorado River through 2028. The proposal aims to stabilize declining reservoir levels while negotiations among the seven basin states remain unresolved.
The plan outlines voluntary reductions and conservation measures that could save up to 3.2 million acre-feet of water over three years. It also includes an additional 700,000 acre-feet in savings through system conservation programs, infrastructure improvements, and operational adjustments.
The proposal focuses on coordinated reductions in Lower Basin water use, storage of conserved water, and operational changes at key reservoirs, including Lake Mead and Lake Powell. It also includes provisions to create a conservation pool to support federal obligations to tribal water rights holders.
The Colorado River system supplies water to approximately 40 million people and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland across the western United States. Reservoir levels have declined due to prolonged drought, reduced snowpack, and increased demand.
The plan requires approval from state agencies in California, Arizona, and Nevada, as well as the Arizona Legislature and federal authorities. Federal support and funding will be necessary to implement several conservation measures and infrastructure components.
Major water agencies, including the Imperial Irrigation District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, have indicated conditional support, subject to funding, protection of water rights, and regulatory approvals.
The proposal seeks to provide short-term stability to the river system while states continue negotiations on long-term water allocation agreements beyond 2026.