California Water Officials Urge Stronger Legal Review in Post-2026 Colorado River Plan

California water officials are calling on the federal government to strengthen its legal and environmental analysis of proposed new operating rules for the Colorado River, warning that the current draft plan fails to adequately address interstate obligations, infrastructure limitations, and impacts to communities, including the Imperial Valley, according to a recent Colorado River Board of California press release.

In formal comments submitted Monday to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Colorado River Board of California Chairman JB Hamby outlined concerns with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) governing post-2026 operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.