Western states set to miss deadline for Colorado River water agreement

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Western states are expected to miss a Feb. 14 federal deadline to agree on a plan to share and conserve water from the Colorado River, according to a joint statement released by three states Friday.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said Saturday’s deadline is set to pass “without a resolution.”

“The stakes couldn’t be higher for our Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Approximately 75% of the population, employment, and agricultural crop sales of the Colorado River Basin are in our states. This also includes 25 of the 30 sovereign Tribal Nations that live within the Basin,” the statement read in part.

Arizona has offered to cut its allocation by 27%, California by 10%, and Nevada by nearly 17%.

“Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation. Our shared success hinges on compromise, and we have offered significant flexibility, allowing states without robust conservation programs time to gradually develop these programs in ways that work in each state,” the governors said in Friday’s statement.

Arizona’s Democratic governor said she was “optimistic” about a deal in an interview earlier this month, but didn’t expect the agreement would be finalized by Saturday’s deadline.

Hobbs previously told Arizona’s Family that she didn’t want to commit to more cuts without sacrifices from the upper basin states like Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

“I think there’s been a precedent to not be optimistic during these negotiations,” Hobbs said during the Feb. 3 interview regarding the recent meeting in DC she had with other states.

“Heading into this meeting, I think almost everyone would describe that negotiations were at an impasse. And there didn’t seem to be a path forward. I don’t think that impasse is completely gone, but I think there is momentum to move forward,” said Hobbs.

About 40 million people in the U.S. and Mexico rely on Colorado River water, including hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland.

About one-third of Arizona’s supply goes to cities and towns, and water experts say that could mean a higher water bill in the future.

The current Colorado River operating guidelines expire at the end of 2026. The seven states that share the Colorado River are Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. Negotiations are set to continue.

Whitney Clark contributed to this report through prior coverage.

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