State Official Outlines Proposed Federal Cuts to Colorado River Water for Arizona, California and Nevada

A U.S. plan for sharing the waters of the drought-stricken Colorado River would require Arizona, California and Nevada to cut their water use ‌by a fifth in the next two years and to make even deeper reductions later, ‌a senior water official from one of those states said on Monday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ​sensitive matters, said the plan should also include reductions for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, the four other states deadlocked over the future of a river that provides drinking water to one in 10 Americans, irrigates land producing around 15% of U.S. food output and fills reservoirs that provide power to ‌over 6 million people in the ⁠region.