Major proposed water cuts for Arizona and California

PHOENIX (KYMA) - The federal government just released its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Friday, and the big takeaway is major proposed water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada.

The specific cuts are expected to be around 20% of the Lower Basin's total 7.5 million-acre-foot allocation, but exactly how these cuts will happen has not been determined.

This comes after the Lower Basin states were unable to agree on how to share the water after more than three years of talks.

In response to the FEIS, Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-District 29) wrote:

"Arizona must be clear-eyed, united, and firm in defense of our water future...The Colorado River is vital to our state, and Arizona has spent decades preparing for drought, conserving water, storing water underground, and building a stronger water system. Our job now is to stay prepared, continue protecting Arizona's rights, and defend our economy while making sure decisions in Washington recognize the contributions our state makes to national security and the economy."

In addition, Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz) issued the following statement on the water cuts saying:

"While we are still awaiting the final operational plans for the next two years, any proposal that imposes the vast majority of cuts on Arizona is unreasonable and unacceptable — especially while Upper Basin states continue to hide behind an outdated legal framework that is disconnected from today's hydrologic realities, allowing them to avoid making meaningful reductions to their own water use. 

I will continue fighting for Arizona's CAP users in our cities and towns, who have made extraordinary investments and sacrifices over the past several decades to reduce water use. I will also continue advocating for agricultural producers in Yuma County, whose work is essential to keeping America’s food supply strong and reducing grocery prices. I will continue standing with Arizona’s Tribal Nations, whose hard-fought water settlements must be respected.

The responsibility for reducing water consumption must be shared fairly among all Colorado River Basin states, and the final plan must respect Arizona's legal water rights. Only an equitable, seven-state approach will put the Colorado River on a sustainable path, prevent dangerously low reservoir levels, and protect this critical resource for generations to come."

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said the city is keeping a close eye on what happens next.

"We have been intimately involved in all the negotiations...we go to the conferences and, and we work with our ag community as well as the state and the federal government to make sure Yuma water is protected," Mayor Nicholls shared.

The next step is the federal government's release of an operating plan for 2027 and 2028.