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California officials say Colorado River states must agree soon to close annual supply gap as 2007 guidelines expire in 2026
Summary
California’s Colorado River representative told the State Water Board on May 6 that basin states must finalize an equitable approach to the post‑2026 operational guidelines to close the river’s long‑term annual deficit or face larger shortages.
A State Water Board briefing on May 6 on Colorado River operations described fast‑moving negotiations among the seven basin states as officials prepare to replace the 2007 interim operating guidelines that expire in September 2026.
Jessica Newworth, representing the Colorado River Board of California, summarized basin economics and operations: the 1922 compact allocated 17.5 million acre‑feet across the basin and Mexico, but long‑term hydrology has averaged roughly 12.4 million acre‑feet — a persistent structural deficit. The river system’s storage — roughly 60 million acre‑feet in major reservoirs such as Lakes Mead and Powell — has allowed substantial carryover management, but the basin is now hotter and drier on average and more frequent shortages are expected.
Newworth said lower‑basin stakeholders in 2024 proposed a set of near‑term cuts that would substantially reduce deliveries: the lower basin proposal included about 760,000 acre‑feet for Arizona, 440,000 acre‑feet for California, with contributions expected from Nevada and Mexico. The basin has discussed shortages up to 3–4 million acre‑feet in extreme scenarios; Newworth said California continues to urge distribution of shortages across users rather than concentrating them on a single state or district.
Reclamation has published alternatives as part of its post‑2026 environmental impact statement; a consensus alternative from the basin states would be easier to analyze and adopt. Newworth said the draft EIS is expected late this year and state negotiators seeking consensus have a tight window if they want a jointly developed plan analyzed in the draft document.
Ending: Newworth told the board California will press for an equitable distribution of reductions and also work to prioritize investments — water recycling, conservation and small‑scale projects — to help the basin absorb cutbacks; the State Water Board said it would continue to follow state negotiations and coordinate with local districts and the Bureau of Reclamation.
