Arizona joins Nevada's lawsuit over Colorado River water — The Guardian

Arizona in the United States has joined Nevada's court case against the administration of President Donald Trump over proposed cuts to the volume of water the states receive from the Colorado River. The Guardian reports.

Proposed restrictions

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced restrictions in the summer that, depending on the condition of the river, could substantially reduce water supplies to the lower Colorado Basin states — Arizona, California and Nevada — over the next two years.

Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the largest reservoirs in the river system, have fallen to historic lows due to overuse of water and climate change. The federal government intervened after the states missed several deadlines to reach a consensus on the allocation of water resources.

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Dispute between states

The upper basin states — Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico — said that their lower basin neighbors were responsible for the water shortage in the reservoirs and should therefore face the largest cuts. The upper basin states were exempted from such restrictions, prompting sharp criticism from the leadership of the lower basin states.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said that, in her view, the federal government is not requiring the upper basin states to fulfill their obligations to deliver water to Arizona and is threatening excessive cuts. Arizona Water Department Director Tom Buschatzke said that joining Nevada's lawsuit is necessary to protect the state's rights to Colorado River water and to find a joint solution with California and Nevada.

Among the concerns over the condition of the river is a scenario in which water levels in the reservoirs fall so low that the Colorado effectively cannot flow downstream.