Climate Colorado River
The Colorado River flows beneath the Glen Canyon Dam at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, near Page, Nev.
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Federal officials have announced sharp water cuts for the next two years for three Western states that rely on the imperiled Colorado River. Under the Bureau of Reclamation’s plan, California, Nevada and Arizona will reduce water use collectively by 1.25 million acre-feet annually during that period with the possibility of larger cuts depending on conditions. Arizona will see the biggest cuts. Upstream states Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico do not face any for now. Last winter saw the worst snowpack on record for the Colorado River Basin. That depleted critical reservoirs to record lows. The states have been unable to agree on how to share the water long term.
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