Overview
- - The three states, which unveiled the plan Friday, said they sent it to the U.S. Department of the Interior for review.
- - The package targets up to 3.2 million acre-feet of savings through 2028 and goes beyond a prior 2027–28 offer, though it does not yet detail how cuts would be split between farms and cities.
- - Key pieces such as expanded system conservation need federal partnership, and the plan still requires approval from the Arizona Legislature and California and Nevada water boards.
- - Talks remain split with the Upper Basin seeking a mediator, while the Lower Basin says it is open to mediation but wants immediate, measurable reductions from every state.
- - Reservoirs are at critical lows—Lake Mead about 31% full and Lake Powell about 24%—which threatens Hoover Dam power generation and a water supply that serves roughly 35 million people after a record-low 22% snowpack.