PHOENIX — Arizona’s future share of Colorado River water could be decided within weeks as the federal government prepares to release a final plan for how to divide the shrinking river after states failed to reach their own agreement.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the plan could be ready by the end of April.
“We’re working on the final details of that, we probably only have two weeks left,” Burgum told KTAR News this week.
Do you have a concern in your community or a news tip? We want to hear from you!
Connect with us: share@abc15.com
The current rules for managing the river expire before the start of the new water year on October 1, meaning a replacement plan must be in place before then. Negotiators from the seven Colorado River Basin states have spent more than two years trying to reach a deal, but disagreements remain over how much water each state should lose and who should take the biggest cuts.
Arizona water leaders, like Brenda Burman with the Central Arizona Project said, proposals released earlier this year would hit the state especially hard.
“We’re very disappointed with that document,” Burman said. “If any of those alternatives were implemented, it would be very, very difficult and perhaps devastating for Arizona.”
You can see those plans for yourself here on the Bureau of Reclamation website.
Arizona water officials argue the state has already done more than most to conserve water and should not be expected to shoulder the majority of future reductions.
Arizona and the other Lower Basin states have already offered significant cuts, while pushing Upper Basin states like Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to take more responsibility for keeping enough water flowing downstream.
Arizona officials say the state has conserved more Colorado River water than any other state and want future reductions shared more evenly across the basin.
At the same time, worsening drought conditions are putting more pressure on the entire system. Federal forecasts show runoff into Lake Powell could be among the lowest on record this year after a dry winter and poor snowpack in the Upper Basin. Burgum said those conditions mean every state will likely have to accept bigger cuts than they want.
Arizona is also preparing for a possible legal fight. The state has already set aside $3 million for a Colorado River legal defense fund and recently hired a law firm to represent Arizona if negotiations collapse and the fight moves to court. Gov. Katie Hobbs has also proposed adding another $1 million to that fund.
