Politics
Arizona warns federal river rules could imperil Central Arizona Project
Arizona is asking to join Nevada’s lawsuit over federal Colorado River rules, arguing the framework could impose water cuts beyond those the Lower Basin states agreed to. State officials say the rules could threaten the Central Arizona Project, which supplies water to Phoenix, Tucson and tribal communities.
Arizona has asked to join Nevada’s lawsuit challenging the federal government’s latest Colorado River operating plan, warning that the rules could lead to water cuts severe enough to threaten the Central Arizona Project and communities across the state.
The state filed a motion to intervene Friday, Oct. 16, in Nevada’s case against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said the federal framework overlooks key provisions of the laws governing the river and could damage Arizona’s economy.
The bureau’s two-year plan calls for Arizona, Nevada and California to reduce their combined Colorado River use by 1.25 million acre-feet. The Lower Basin states had reached their own agreement on those reductions after the Upper Basin states declined to accept mandatory cuts, according to the state’s account of the dispute.
Arizona says the federal decision does not include other protections sought by the Lower Basin. Buschatzke’s department argues the plan fails to provide the amount of water it says the Lower Basin is owed under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, which sets a 10-year delivery benchmark of 75 million acre-feet.
The state is also concerned about rules for years three through 10. Arizona says those provisions could trigger additional Lower Basin reductions of up to 3 million acre-feet, with cuts determined by water-right priorities. Because Arizona holds junior rights, it could bear a disproportionate share, the state says.
“Such reductions could essentially dry up the Central Arizona Project, as well as many of our on-river communities,” Buschatzke said. The project carries Colorado River water to Phoenix, Tucson and tribal communities around the state.
Arizona has agreed to a 30% reduction in its Colorado River allocation over the next two years as part of the Lower Basin agreement, Buschatzke said. He said the state remains committed to finalizing that agreement but wants protections that spread reductions across the entire basin rather than placing most of the burden on the Lower Basin.
The dispute comes as the states and federal government negotiate how to manage a river strained by prolonged drought and declining water supplies. Arizona’s intervention would put the state alongside Nevada in challenging the bureau’s decision, while the federal framework remains central to the talks over future allocations.