Western States Miss Deadline on Colorado River Water Cuts

Federal and Judicial Options Loom as Negotiations Stall

The seven states that depend on the Colorado River have failed to meet the June 30 deadline set by the Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan. The missed deadline leaves the federal government to decide how to enforce reductions in water usage as the river’s flow continues to shrink.

Under the plan, each state was supposed to submit a detailed allocation schedule that would collectively shave off up to 2 million acre‑feet of water annually. With the deadline passed and no consensus reached, the responsibility now shifts to the Trump administration, which may impose mandatory cuts or issue emergency orders to protect the river’s reservoirs.

If the administration’s actions are contested, the dispute could be escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Legal scholars note that a Supreme Court ruling would set a precedent for how interstate water conflicts are resolved when climate‑driven scarcity threatens a critical resource.

State officials argue that the deadline was unrealistic given the complex water‑rights negotiations and the economic impact on agriculture and urban areas. Nonetheless, water managers warn that continued inaction could push Lake Mead and Lake Powell to critically low levels, jeopardizing water supplies for millions of people across the Southwest.

In the meantime, the U.S. Department of the Interior is reviewing contingency measures, including temporary water curtailments and incentives for water‑saving technologies, while stakeholders await a definitive federal directive or a potential court decision.