Nevada sues federal agencies over Colorado River plan that could cut its water by 71%
Nevada sued the Interior Department and the Bureau of Reclamation, saying the new Colorado River operating plan would slash its water share by about 71%, harming the region.
On Monday, Nevada lodged a lawsuit against the Interior Department, the Bureau of Reclamation and senior officials, contending that the federal government’s newly released Colorado River operating plan would slash the state’s water entitlement by over 210,000 acre-feet - about 71% of its allocation. The suit asserts that the plan fails to consider the resulting environmental, socioeconomic and public-health consequences for southern Nevada and breaches the Administrative Procedure Act, NEPA and the Law of the River.
Nevada points to its recent conservation successes, which lowered usage from 325,000 to under 200,000 acre-feet while the population grew, and its storage of more than 2.2 million acre-feet, including 900,000 in Lake Mead. The state seeks a judicial order to stop implementation, invalidate the operating plan and the accompanying environmental impact statement, and stresses that the plan omits analysis of economic costs to cities such as Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Henderson.
Nevada also notes that an alternative proposal from the lower-basin states was rejected by the federal agencies. The Attorney General’s Office and lead negotiator John Entsminger were unavailable for comment.
Why it matters
The case could reshape water distribution for millions in the Southwest, affecting economies and ecosystems.
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