The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued new 2027–2028 operating rules for the Colorado River as Lake Powell and Lake Mead reach historic lows after prolonged drought. The plan requires the Lower Basin states—Arizona, California, and Nevada—to reduce water deliveries by 1.25 million acre-feet annually, with proposed reductions of 760,000 acre-feet for Arizona, 440,000 for California, and 50,000 for Nevada. The states would also voluntarily conserve at least 700,000 acre-feet over two years.
The Upper Basin states—Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—will work with the Lower Basin and tribes on reservoir operations to help protect critical infrastructure at Glen Canyon Dam.
The new 10-year framework emphasizes flexibility, conservation, and continued negotiations among the seven states, tribes, and Mexico as drought conditions persist.
The pressure is particularly concerning in drought-prone states such as Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and Texas, where population growth and climate change are already straining water supplies.
