New rules for the Colorado River officially go into effect on Thursday, but they won’t bring changes to Arizona’s water quite yet. … Federal rules for the Colorado River and its major reservoirs typically run on a different calendar than the rest of the world. … So, starting Thursday, a controversial federal plan will start changing the amount of water sent from Lake Powell downstream to Lake Mead. However, the amount of water delivered from Lake Mead to people farther downstream — like cities in the Phoenix area and huge farm districts in California — is managed in line with the normal calendar, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 1. So even though the amount of water flowing into Lake Mead will be different this week, the amount of water flowing out of it won’t change until the beginning of 2027.

Other Colorado River management news:

• ABC15 (Phoenix): Arizona enters new water year ahead of historic Colorado River cuts
• The Washington Post: The Colorado River nears a worrisome threshold. These farmers are worried.
• Colorado Public Radio: Drought has decimated Colorado’s biggest reservoir, and the livelihoods of those who depend on it
• NBC9 (Denver, Colo.): Video: “What do you need and what can you give up?” Weiser’s plan for Colorado’s water
• Arizona Department of Water Resources: Blog: The Arizona Water Banking Authority undergoes a change of direction