Nevada Sues US Government Over Colorado River Water Cuts
Nevada, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the U.S. Department of the Interior. The legal challenge targets a newly signed 10-year federal plan that mandates a 1.25 million acre-foot annual reduction in Colorado River water from the Lower Basin states while exempting Upper Basin states from mandatory cuts.
The Post-2026 Plan and Lower Basin Cuts
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed the record of decision for the Post-2026 Colorado River Operations on Friday, setting the framework to keep Lake Powell at an elevation of 3,510 feet or better. The federal strategy requires the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada to trim 1.25 million acre-feet of water from the system annually over the next two years, starting with the 2027–2028 window. Meanwhile, Upper Basin states—Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming—face no mandatory cuts under the newly approved framework.
According to the court filing in federal court, the state says it stands to lose as much as 70% of its annual allocation. Nevada state officials termed the enforced volume reductions entirely unrealistic for a community that represents about two-thirds of the state’s citizens and the lion’s share of its economy.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo characterized the litigation as a survival issue rather than political posturing, emphasizing that any equitable long-term solution for the shared river system must include everybody, noting the river is shared by seven states and dozens of other entities. Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager John Entsminger noted that while southern Nevada has been a global leader in water efficiency, conservation has its limits.
Interstate Divisions Over Basin Allocations
The legal dispute lays bare deep-seated tensions between the Upper and Lower Basins over how to manage Lake Powell and Lake Mead, both of which have hit all-time lows this year. In comparison, Upper Basin states used 29%, with the remainder lost to evaporation or delivered to Mexico.
Lower Basin states have asserted that Upper Basin states should also reduce their share of the system.
Basin states previously agreed to release up to 1 million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge, situated at the Utah-Wyoming border, to support Lake Powell levels at the Utah-Arizona border. However, those cooperative measures have failed to avert a full legal showdown over the post-2026 rules. A spokesperson for the Colorado River Authority of Utah stated that the agency is reviewing the Nevada lawsuit and has no immediate comment on it.
Legal Strategy and Municipal Impact
The lawsuit asks federal courts to set aside the Interior Department’s record of decision before the mandatory cuts take effect on Jan. 1.