Nevada Sues Trump Administration Over Colorado River Water Cuts

The state of Nevada has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration to block a new Colorado River management plan that slashes water allocations for Lower Basin states.

Filed on Monday, the legal challenge targets the administration and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over a record of decision released Friday. The disputed framework outlines operating guidelines for 2027 through 2028 alongside a 10-year decision framework for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. According to the lawsuit, the federal directives would strip away 71% of the 300,000 acre-feet of water Nevada currently receives annually from the Colorado River, a supply that almost entirely supports the Las Vegas Valley.

Legal Arguments and Federal Authority

The plaintiffs—comprising the state of Nevada, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority—argue that the Interior Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the “law of the river” originating from the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

While the cuts target Lower Basin states including California, Arizona, and Nevada, the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming were spared from mandatory reductions. The Bureau of Reclamation controls Lake Mead and manages Lower Basin water deliveries, but lacks comparable authority to impose similar water cuts on the Upper Basin.

Allocations and Basin-Wide Impacts

Under the newly issued federal record of decision, water deliveries to Lower Basin states will drop by 1.25 million acre-feet annually for two years. An acre-foot represents the volume of water needed to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot, which equates to roughly 362,000 gallons.

The distribution of the mandatory cuts breaks down across the three Lower Basin states:

• Arizona will lose 760,000 acre-feet.
• California, which holds the most senior water rights, will lose 440,000 acre-feet.
• Nevada will lose 50,000 acre-feet.

In addition to these reductions, the three Lower Basin states are expected to voluntarily contribute and store an additional 700,000 acre-feet over the same two-year period. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated Friday that the Seven Basin States, 30 Basin Tribes, Mexico, and other stakeholders provided necessary feedback and voluntary arrangements to shape the 2027-2028 guidelines.

Reactions from Regional Stakeholders

Federal officials defended the strategy as a necessary mechanism for managing ongoing drought. Andrea Travnicek, assistant secretary for water and science, stated that the decisions supply Basin stakeholders with flexible tools and voluntary actions to navigate prolonged dry conditions while keeping the door open for consensus agreements. JB Hamby, who chairs the Colorado River Board of California and serves as the state’s Colorado River commissioner, called the record of decision and two-year guidelines a source of badly needed near-term certainty during extraordinary risk. However, Hamby cautioned that the measures serve merely as a bridge rather than a permanent fix, noting that three states cannot shoulder the responsibility for all seven.

California is prepared to discuss greater flexibility for the Upper Basin

JB Hamby, Colorado River Commissioner for California

Meanwhile, the Upper Colorado River Commission issued a statement Friday characterizing the Interior Department’s approach as a constructive step toward aligning river operations with available water supplies. Colorado Commissioner Becky Mitchell added that Upper Basin states already strictly regulate water use and experience mandatory reductions based on available supply, noting that the framework provides a near-term path while stakeholders pursue a lasting agreement.