Federal officials said drought conditions over the past 25 years have dwindled the water capacity available to the seven states that rely on the Colorado River. File Photo by NASA/UPI | License Photo
July 31 (UPI) -- Federal officials on Friday released an updated framework for the Colorado River, requiring Arizona, California and Nevada to significantly reduce their water use in the coming years.
The plan, released by the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, reduces the water available for use by the three states by 3 million acre-feet in the coming decade.
One acre-foot is enough water for as many as four households to use for a whole year. The cuts represent the largest proposed cuts for those states to date
"The [report] contains a framework that includes sideboards that are unacceptable for the state of Arizona," the Arizona Department of Water Resources said in a statement to The Colorado Sun. "Such reductions would devastate Arizona's water users and its economy."
