Overview
- The Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental impact statement detailing five alternatives for post‑2026 Colorado River operations.
- Options include a Basic Coordination approach, a Tribes and stakeholder‑informed storage strategy, a Maximum Operational Flexibility model, a Supply Driven method, and a No Action alternative.
- A 45‑day comment period opens Jan. 16 for states, tribes, and the public to submit feedback on the draft.
- New federal projections show Lake Mead could fall to about 1,036.5 feet by November 2027, lower than 2022’s level and the November forecast, with acknowledged uncertainty in long‑range estimates.
- Negotiators met this week in Salt Lake City as Nevada prepared formal comments, reflecting unresolved disputes over cuts for a river system serving roughly 40 million people and 5 million acres of farmland.