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Plan to save Lake Mead faces hurdles

Newsweek · Jul 22, 2026 17:19 · 4 min read

US-TRAVEL-DROUGHT — Aerial view of Boulder Basin, the northwestern arm of Lake Mead, shows the bathtub ring, indicator of long-term water loss, between Boulder City, Nevada, and the Las Vegas metropolitan area on July 3, 2025. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

"We will not accept a plan that puts all of the burden on our states," Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said.

A federal plan to address Colorado River water shortages is expected within days, as Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said her state would not accept “unreasonable” cuts to its allocation amid negotiations over how to protect shrinking reservoirs such as Lake Mead.

The basin states have been attempting to negotiate new water sharing agreements, with current guidelines set to expire this year.

The latest comes as Lakes Mead and Powell, the first- and second-largest reservoirs in the U.S., respectively, have fallen to their lowest combined level on record, according to the Los Angeles Times.

What Happened?

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum convened a virtual meeting on Tuesday with the governors of the seven states that the Colorado River serves—Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico in the Upper Basin; Arizona, California and Nevada in the Lower Basin “to address the current state of the Colorado River and discuss strategies for future management and operations,” according to a news release.

“I am grateful to the Governors of the Seven Basin States for their leadership and commitment to finding solutions to address drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin,” Burgum said. “Interior remains focused on establishing a new operating framework and continues to work with the states and 30 tribes to get closer to consensus in recognition of the importance of the Colorado River to their economies and the approximately 40 million people who rely on it.”

A draft version of the plan previously outlined several potential methods for managing the Colorado River system, including one designed to be put into action without requiring water users in the Basin to agree on how to share shortages.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said in a statement on X following Tuesday’s call that “unreasonable cuts to our Colorado River water allocation are unacceptable.”

“The Lower Basin has put commonsense, compromise solutions on the table to protect the stability of the system and ensure water security for all Colorado River water users, but we will not accept a plan that puts all of the burden on our states.

“I remain committed to ongoing negotiations, but also remain steadfast in calling for the Upper Basin to join with us in conserving water to protect the continued stability of the Colorado River.”

Water Levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell

Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, remain central to the water challenges facing the Colorado River Basin. Lake Mead was created in the 1930s with the construction of Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border, while Lake Powell was formed in the 1960s after the completion of Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona. Both projects were celebrated as engineering marvels that provided water storage, hydroelectric power, and drought protection for the growing Southwest.

Their creation, however, has long sparked debate. Supporters view the reservoirs as essential infrastructure that made modern development in the region possible. Critics argue that the dams flooded canyons, altered ecosystems, and transformed the natural flow of the Colorado River. Today, as water levels fluctuate amid drought and climate pressures, the lakes remain symbols of both human ingenuity and the complex trade-offs of managing a scarce resource in the arid West.

As of Sunday, Lake Mead was 27 percent full, and Lake Powell was just 22 percent full, according to USBR data.

Proposed Plans

As negotiations over the Colorado River’s future continue, several competing plans have emerged to protect water supplies and stabilize Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Arizona, California and Nevada recently proposed additional short-term conservation measures that would reduce water use and help keep reservoir levels above critical thresholds.

Meanwhile, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming have pushed for a supply-driven approach that ties water use more closely to actual river flows and declining runoff.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is also evaluating a range of post-2026 operating alternatives, while tribal nations have called for a greater role in decision-making and recognition of tribal water rights.

Together, the proposals reflect a growing consensus that deeper conservation and new management strategies will be needed to sustain the Colorado River system in an increasingly arid future.

Plan to save Lake Mead faces hurdles — Aerial view of Boulder Basin, the northwestern arm of Lake Mead, shows the bathtub ring, an indicator of long-term water loss, between Boulder City, Nevada, and the Las Vegas metropolitan area on July 3, 2025.

Trump Admin Pays to Boost Lake Mead Water Level

The federal government previously said it would pay a major Southern California water cooperative up to $65 million to leave some of its Colorado River water in Lake Mead this year, under a new agreement aimed at slowing the reservoir’s decline and protecting hydropower generation at Hoover Dam.

Under the agreement, Reclamation would compensate the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California $325 for each acre-foot of Colorado River water it keeps in Lake Mead, up to 200,000 acre-feet in 2026.

“Protecting Lake Mead’s water levels and mitigating the loss of hydropower generation at Hoover Dam requires timely, collaborative action, and we value the proactive partnership we have with Metropolitan Water District,” a Bureau of Reclamation spokesperson told Newsweek. “Long-term stability for the Colorado River depends on continued conservation, thoughtful planning, and ongoing cooperation across the Basin.”