In Reply to: Saturday News is Alright (for Fighting)* posted by mh on August 22, 2026 at 09:29:30
The U.S. government on Friday finalized a two-year plan to slash water supplies to California, Nevada and Arizona to manage the drought-stricken Colorado River, while leaving open the possibility of far deeper cuts later in the decade.
The three so-called lower basin states will take around a 21% reduction in water from the river in 2027 and 2028, but cuts could nearly double in later years, according to the plan signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Arizona and Nevada have said any move to double the cuts after 2028 would devastate their economies, with Arizona threatening to sue the federal government to defend its water rights.
The four so-called Upper Basin states — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming — face no mandatory cuts under the new 10-year plan, which is up for review every two years.
The federal intervention followed failed talks between Upper and Lower Basin states on how to manage the shrinking river, which provides water to one in 10 Americans, irrigates land producing 15% of U.S. food output and generates power for 6 million people in seven states.hammad Baqer Qalibaf’s visit to Iraq.