Arizona moves to join Nevada's lawsuit over Colorado River water cuts
Arizona asked on Friday to join Nevada's suit over the U.S. plan to share Colorado River water, KJZZ and Inside Climate News reported. The state says the plan cuts water for it, California and Nevada, but not for the states upstream. U.S. officials said a suit won't add a drop of water, the Review-Journal reported.
Arizona filed a motion Friday to join Nevada's lawsuit against the federal government's new plan for running the Colorado River, Inside Climate News and KJZZ reported. The Nevada Independent and the Las Vegas Review-Journal also reported the move.
"We are drawing a line in the sand," Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement, according to The Nevada Independent and KJZZ. Hobbs said the federal government "refuses to hold the Upper Basin accountable for the water deliveries they owe Arizona," Inside Climate News and KJZZ reported.
The federal plan puts mandatory cuts on the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada, while the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico face no required cuts, Inside Climate News and KJZZ reported. The plan would cut supplies for the three lower states by about 20% through 2028 and by about 40% after that, KJZZ reported. Arizona would take the largest cuts, KJZZ reported.
Nevada sued the Interior Department in August, The Nevada Independent reported. Its suit says federal officials did not fully weigh the harm the cuts would do, KJZZ reported. Arizona plans to challenge the plan's environmental review and says the plan illegally fails to require releases from Upper Basin reservoirs to Lake Mead, The Nevada Independent reported.
The Interior Department pushed back. "Governor Hobbs is wrong, and it's unfortunate to see Arizona playing politics instead of working toward meaningful solutions," the department said, according to the Review-Journal. "Litigation won't create a single additional drop of water," it said.
The lawsuit does not ask for an immediate pause on the new rules, said Cynthia Campbell, an Arizona water lawyer, according to KJZZ. "I'm really shocked at their timing," she said, because Arizona is still negotiating a separate deal with California and Nevada, KJZZ reported.
Climate change has cut the river's flow, which averaged about 11.2 million acre-feet a year from 2020 to 2024, according to provisional federal data cited by Inside Climate News.
What we know: Arizona has asked to join Nevada's lawsuit challenging the federal Colorado River plan.
What we don't: Whether the court will allow Arizona to join, or when it will rule.
Where outlets agree Inside Climate News, KJZZ, The Nevada Independent and the Las Vegas Review-Journal all report that Arizona moved on Friday to join Nevada's lawsuit against the federal Colorado River plan.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.