With disappointing snowpack levels, dropping water levels at major reservoirs, and Upper Basin states unwilling to take on more reductions - a coalition of Arizona’s water leaders agreed that the Grand Canyon state cannot take on the brunt of future cuts during Monday’s Arizona Reconsultation Committee Meeting
The seven basin states continue to struggle to reach an agreement on post-2026 operations; the Upper Basin argues that the Lower Basin should take on more cuts since they use more water.
Part of that argument is that the Lower Basin uses that water for crops that feed the rest of the country.
The Upper Basin is made up of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming; the Lower Basin is made up of Arizona, California and Nevada.
Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project General says water released for Lower Basin states might be reduced this year.
“We may breach the compact in 2026, and almost certainly it will be breached in 2027…sobering news, it’s something that hasn’t happened before, our Upper Basin neighbors have always met that obligation in the past,” she said.
Per the 1922 Colorado River Compact, each basin is allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water annually. The Lower Basin is allowed an additional 1 million acre-feet per year to cover diversions from the Gila River and its tributaries in Arizona. If this compact is breached, it could lead to a legal battle between the Lower Basin and Upper Basin states.
The Upper Basin is legally obligated to deliver 7.5 million acre-feet annually to the Lower Basin according to the 1922 Colorado River compact. This is measured at Lees Ferry in Arizona.
Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources says Arizona and the other Basin States have been meeting weekly for the past several months to discuss post-2026 operations– a source of contention between the Basin States is what the Lake Powell to Lake Mead release pattern is.
“We’ve been arguing over a range of releases with the upper basin that might be as low as 7 million acre-feet, maybe 7.3 it depends on the day,” he said.
Buschatzke noted that with the 1.5 million acre feet of cuts that are on the table from the Lower Basin, Lake Mead could be stabilized – however he noted that the Upper Basin wants the Lower Basin to take a 2 million acre-feet reduction of water.
The next federal deadline for those states to come up with a new plan is February 14. Last year, the seven Basin States missed their Nov. 11 deadline set by the federal government, to come up with new operating guidelines.
Monday’s meeting discussed alternative reduction scenarios throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin that was published by the Bureau of Reclamation – a supplemental document that was released after the Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released.
