‘Devastating’ cuts: Nevada is first state to file suit over Colorado River plan

‘Devastating’ cuts: Nevada is first state to file suit over Colorado River plan Nevada officials filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court of Nevada early Monday morning, challenging the Trump administration’s proposal to reduce water allocations from the Colorado River. The complaint asserts that the federal operating plan unlawfully authorizes the government to cut Nevada’s share by as much as 71 percent each year—equivalent to 213,556 acre‑feet—far exceeding the state’s current use of 198,000 acre‑feet recorded last year. Lawyers representing the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the state as a whole requested an injunction to halt implementation of the plan. In their filing they wrote, “This shortfall will cause devastating environmental, socioeconomic, and health and safety impacts to southern Nevada and its citizens,” and added, “Federal Defendants failed to consider such impacts in any meaningful way.” The lawsuit was filed three days after the administration released its final Colorado River plan, a move that drew criticism from water managers in Nevada and Arizona. It marks the first time the federal government has mandated water cuts for the basin states absent an interstate agreement. Under the agreement, Lower Basin states Nevada, California and Arizona will observe the prescribed shortages in 2027 and 2028, but the period from 2029 through 2036 could impose significantly stricter reductions. No mandatory cuts are slated for the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. Governor Joe Lombardo remarked in a Friday statement that the plan “is sacrificing the health and safety of Nevadans before requiring even more water work for our shared water resources from the Upper Basin.” Federal forecasters project that Lake Mead will fall to or below 1,000 feet in elevation by summer 2028, at least 35 feet beneath its present level, even with the modest savings from the contested plan. Legal analysts warn that a protracted court battle could drain taxpayer funds and extend for years. One expert told the Las Vegas Review‑Journal that comparable water litigation averages eight years before resolution. In similar disputes, the U.S. Supreme Court has appointed a “water master” to issue binding determinations. John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Nevada’s Colorado River czar, has largely avoided commenting on the litigation specifics, stating only that the state will defend its water rights if necessary. Requests for comment from the Bureau of Reclamation and its parent agency, the Interior Department, went unanswered. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.