Senator Raises Alarm as Major Lake Mead Water Deadline Looms
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As the deadline to renegotiate Colorado River water use agreements approaches, Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper says he is "frustrated" with the lack of progress on a consensus between the seven basin states.
"Colorado should have a right to keep the water that we have been using the way we've been using it, and I don't think we should compromise that," Hickenlooper said after a roundtable in Glenwood Springs with Western Slope water managers on April 15, according to Aspen Journalism.
"But there are a lot of things we could do to give a little to be part of the solution to the Lower Basin and get to a collaborative solution. Again, I'm frustrated by our lack of progress."
Why It Matters
The Colorado River is a lifeline for the Southwest, supplying water and hydroelectric power across seven states. Its two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, have dropped to record lows in recent years due to overuse and drought conditions.
New guidelines are needed by 2026 to replace the current set of rules. Federal officials previously released five conceptual alternatives, including a "no action" option required under environmental law, to determine how to allocate dwindling water resources.
One proposal emphasizes infrastructure protection and strict limits on water deliveries during shortages, while another promotes expanded conservation and flexible storage solutions, the Hill reported.
Without an agreement, a federal management plan would likely be implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, according to Aspen Journalism.
What To Know
The Colorado River Compact, originally crafted a century ago, is expiring as the region has been confronting the crises of prolonged water scarcity.
The states—Arizona, California, and Nevada in the Lower Basin, and Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming in the Upper Basin—have until the end of May to submit a consensus-based plan. Without agreement, federal officials are expected to begin drafting a unilateral management plan as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
Talks had stalled late last year but have since resumed. Upper Basin negotiators, including Colorado's lead, Becky Mitchell, are pushing for supply-driven management of reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead "that are resilient across a range of hydrologic conditions experienced in the basin," Aspen Journalism reported.
Lower Basin representatives, however, want the Upper Basin to absorb a share of usage cuts during drought years. The outlet noted that upper Basin states say they already suffer approximately 1.3 million acre-feet in annual shortfalls due to limited water availability and have never fully utilized their compact allocation.
A ferry passes Rock Island rises on Lake Mead along the Colorado River on March 14, 2025.
A ferry passes Rock Island rises on Lake Mead along the Colorado River on March 14, 2025.One option put forward by the Bureau of Reclamation, described as "federal authorities," would require up to 3.5 million acre-feet in cuts exclusively from the Lower Basin, while preserving Upper Basin allocations and using upstream reservoir releases to maintain hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam.
Complicating matters further is a bleak hydrological outlook. The snowpack in the Upper Basin has fallen to 74 percent of average and may collapse entirely, echoing the severe drought conditions of 2021 and 2022, according to Aspen Journalism.
What People Are Saying
Lead negotiator for Colorado Becky Mitchell as reported by Aspen Journalism: "The basin states share common goals: we want to avoid litigation, and we want a sustainable solution for reservoir operations...In light of these goals, I see the basin states working towards sustainable, supply-driven operations of Lakes Powell and Mead that are resilient across a range of hydrologic conditions experienced in the basin."
Andy Mueller, general manager of the Glenwood Springs-based Colorado River Water Conservation District, as reported by Aspen Journalism: "We have to remember that creating your own solution for the consensus is always better than allowing somebody else to create it for you, so we are hopeful that will happen."
What Happens Next
If consensus fails, the risk isn't only legal paralysis—a failure to reach consensus could trigger federal interventions and potential disruptions to water and energy supplies in the West.
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