After one of the Colorado River’s driest years in decades, Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the largest reservoirs in the country — could see alarming declines in the coming years, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced today. Federal officials again called for Arizona and Nevada to cut back their supplies from the overtapped river — though California, with its senior claims to the river’s water, will be spared. While expected, today’s two-year projection ratchets up tension among seven states in the Colorado River basin, which have struggled to agree on the river’s management after 2026, when current guidelines expire. 

Other Reclamation announcement news:

• AP News: Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again get less Colorado River water in 2026
• E&E News by Politico: Interior forecasts more water supply cuts in the Colorado River Basin
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): New Colorado River report calls for Arizona to cut use by 18%, Nevada by 7%
• Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Colorado River shortages will continue through 2026, with ‘dire’ predictions beyond
• ABC15 (Phoenix, Ariz.): Arizona farmers prepare for more water cuts amid Western drought
• Nevada Current: Nevada will see another year of Colorado River water cuts