The U.S. government has proposed a new water-sharing ​plan for the drought-stricken Colorado River that could cut up to 40% of current ‌supplies to Arizona, California and Nevada, according to a senior Arizona official. With a 20-year-old plan expiring this year, and talks between seven states that share the river at an impasse, the federal government late last week intervened with a strategy to ​deal with severe water shortages, according to Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water ​Resources. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposed a 10-year plan in which Arizona, California and ⁠Nevada would potentially cut water use by up to 3 million acre-feet per year to maintain water ​levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

Other Colorado River management news:

• The Wall Street Journal: The Colorado River is on the brink of disaster
• The Guardian: US plan for Colorado River could cut up to 40% supply for Arizona, California and Nevada
• Las Vegas Review-Journal: Lake Mead’s outlook just went from bad to historically bad
• KLAS (Las Vegas): 40% water cut may come with feds’ Colorado River plan; Lake Mead projections show steep drop
• ABC15 (Phoenix): Fighting for Colorado River water is nothing new, but it once nearly led to war with California
• Wyoming Public Radio: ‘We’re in trouble’: Flaming Gorge businesses feel the strain of water releases​
• The Raincross Gazette (Riverside, Calif.): Opinion: Colorado River supply, the continuing saga