Arizona, California, and Nevada have put forward a new proposal to conserve Colorado River water through 2028, offering a short-term plan meant to stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell while the seven Basin states continue working toward a long-term agreement. The proposal comes after more than a year of stalled negotiations and as the river system faces worsening drought, low snowpack, and declining reservoir levels. NPR reported that the Colorado River supplies nearly 40 million people across the West, while Lake Mead and Lake Powell remain near dangerously low levels after more than two decades of megadrought.
The plan is being described as a temporary “bridge,” not a permanent solution. Under the proposal, the Lower Basin states would voluntarily reduce the amount of water they take from the river, helping protect water levels in the nation’s two largest reservoirs while negotiations continue. KNAU and KJZZ reported that Arizona, California, and Nevada would leave 700,000 to 1 million acre-feet of water in the Colorado River system, adding to earlier conservation efforts. State leaders say the total savings would add up to more than 3.2 million acre-feet of water through 2028.
For Arizona, the proposal is being viewed as both a warning and a possible lifeline. ABC15 reported that Arizona joined California and Nevada in offering deeper voluntary cuts after more than a year of stalled negotiations. Arizona’s Colorado River negotiator, Tom Buschatzke, said the proposal shows that water users across the Lower Basin are stepping forward with solutions that support the river. The plan is meant to keep water levels high enough at Lake Powell and Lake Mead to continue delivering water and power across the Southwest, but experts warned that the river’s future will still depend heavily on snowpack, precipitation, and long-term reductions in water use.
The urgency behind the proposal is tied directly to conditions at Lake Powell and throughout the Colorado River system. Smart Water Magazine reported that inflows to Lake Powell are forecast at only 29% of the historical average, while total system storage is roughly 36% of capacity. Those numbers show why negotiators are under pressure to take action now. If Lake Powell continues to fall, it could threaten hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam and make it harder to move water downstream through the system.
The proposal also reflects the growing divide between the Lower Basin and Upper Basin states. Fox 13 Salt Lake City reported that California, Arizona, and Nevada offered the plan as a way to manage water for more than 40 million people in the West, but disagreements remain over who should take cuts and how deep those cuts should be. The Upper Basin states, which include Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, have argued that the Lower Basin uses too much water from the reservoirs. Lower Basin leaders say they are putting forward measurable water savings and need federal leadership to help move the plan forward.
The Guardian reported that the Lower Basin proposal would save 3.2 million acre-feet of water through voluntary cutbacks through 2028, with an additional 700,000 acre-feet expected through conservation measures and infrastructure improvements. The plan also includes the creation of a conservation pool connected to federal trust obligations to tribes in Arizona. This is an important piece of the proposal because tribal water rights remain central to the future of Colorado River management. Across the Basin, many tribes hold legal rights to Colorado River water, but some of those rights remain unquantified or difficult to fully access.
At the same time, drought impacts are already being felt in tribal communities. Navajo Times reported that the Navajo Nation is being urged to pray for water as the Colorado River Basin enters another dangerous dry stretch. Federal forecasts warn that Navajo Reservoir could face shortages from November 2026 through February 2027, and Lake Powell could drop toward levels that make hydropower production more difficult. The report also noted that federal projections show weak spring runoff, with inflows into Lake Powell at about 22% of average.
Together, these reports show that the Colorado River crisis is entering another critical stage. The Lower Basin states are trying to buy time with voluntary cutbacks, but the larger fight over how to manage the river after the current rules expire remains unresolved. The proposal could help reduce the immediate risk to Lake Mead and Lake Powell, but it does not erase the long-term problem: the river is producing less water than the region has historically planned to use. Cities, farms, tribes, states, and federal agencies are all facing the same reality, which is that future water management will require deeper cooperation, clearer rules, and stronger protection for the river itself.
What does this mean for CRIT?
For the Colorado River Indian Tribes, this proposal is important because it shows that major decisions about the river are being shaped now. As Arizona, California, Nevada, and the Upper Basin states continue negotiating over cuts, reservoir operations, and future management rules, CRIT’s senior Colorado River rights and stewardship responsibilities must remain part of the discussion. The Tribe’s Water Code, the Personhood Resolution for the Colorado River, and the Water Resiliency Act all help strengthen CRIT’s role in protecting the river and asserting its place as one of the river’s oldest stewards. As drought deepens and states look for ways to conserve water, CRIT’s seat at the table is essential to protecting Tribal sovereignty, defending senior water rights, and helping guide the future of the Colorado River Basin.
Sources
NPR, “California, Arizona, and Nevada have a new plan to share the Colorado River.”
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5809425/california-arizona-and-nevada-have-a-new-plan-to-share-the-colorado-river
KNAU / KJZZ, “This new Colorado River plan could give Arizona a ‘lifeline and cause for hope.’https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-05-04/this-new-colorado-river-plan-could-give-arizona-a-lifeline-and-cause-for-hope
15 Arizona, “Arizona joins new plan to cut Colorado River water use.” https://www.abc15.com/news/state/arizona-joins-new-plan-to-cut-colorado-river-water-use
Smart Water Magazine, “Lower Basin states advance 3.2 million acre-feet plan to stabilise Colorado River through 2028.”
https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/smart-water-magazine/lower-basin-states-advance-32-million-acre-feet-plan-stabilise-colorado
Fox 13 Salt Lake City, “Lower Basin states offer a Colorado River deal.”
https://www.fox13now.com/news/colorado-river-collaborative/lower-basin-states-offer-a-colorado-river-deal
Article link: The Guardian, “California, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado River.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/03/colorado-river-water-plan-california-arizona-nevada
Article link: Navajo Times, “Diné called to pray for water as drought worsens.”
https://navajotimes.com/reznews/dine-called-to-pray-for-water-as-drought-worsens/