The remains of a boat sit out of the water at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on Wednesday, Apr. 01, 2026, Boulder City, Nev. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
A informational map shows Lake Mead at a higher water level than is seen on Wednesday, Apr. 01, 2026, Boulder City, Nev. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Absent a longer term deal on how to share a key but dwindling water source in the U.S. West, three states say they’ll cut back significantly to prop up reservoirs in a short-term agreement following the driest winter on record.
Arizona, California and Nevada announced a plan this month to save up to 1 million acre-feet (44 billion cubic feet) of Colorado River water through 2028. That’s on top of cuts already announced by the three states and Mexico, bringing the total proposed savings to 3.2 million acre-feet (139 billion cubic feet), or about enough water to serve more than 25 million people a year.
“We have kind of a crisis situation that this past winter has created,” Tom Buschatzke, Arizona’s lead negotiator, said earlier this week. “We need to do everything we can, and that’s what our plan does, to find a short-term fix.”
