The Bureau of Reclamation has completed a new operating framework for the Colorado River that sets limits on releases, shortages and water storage at Lake Powell and Lake Mead while allowing federal managers to adjust operations as drought conditions change.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Bureau of Reclamation has released its final environmental review for managing the Colorado River through 2036, establishing a flexible operating system for Lake Powell and Lake Mead as prolonged drought and uncertain water supplies continue to strain the basin.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement does not impose a single fixed operating formula for the next decade. Instead, it creates a set of boundaries, described as “sideboards,” within which federal officials can modify reservoir operations according to hydrologic conditions from year to year.
Under the framework, annual releases from Lake Powell could range from 5 million to 12 million acre-feet. An acre-foot is the amount of water required to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot, or approximately 326,000 gallons.
The plan also permits water-shortage reductions of as much as 3 million acre-feet for Lower Basin states.
Federal managers would have authority to store conserved water for later use, including as much as 8 million acre-feet in Lake Powell and 3 million acre-feet in Lake Mead.
In the Upper Basin, the framework allows voluntary conservation of up to 200,000 acre-feet depending on available water supplies and broader river conditions.
Rather than determining every operating decision years in advance, the federal government plans to issue updated guidelines approximately every two years while remaining within those established limits.
The structure also preserves an opportunity for the seven Colorado River Basin states to negotiate their own consensus agreements. If the states reach common ground, those arrangements could be incorporated into future federal operating decisions.
“The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “This framework provides the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions.”
Development of the new framework began in June 2023 and included three years of consultation involving basin states, tribes, federal agencies and members of the public.
Reclamation released a draft Environmental Impact Statement in January 2026. The agency subsequently received more than 18,000 comments, including 785 unique submissions, which were considered as officials developed the final preferred alternative.
“This plan strikes a balance between flexibility and predictability for the Colorado River system that is vital to the 40 million people who rely on it,” Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek said.
The framework will guide federal management of the river through 2036, with reservoir releases, shortage reductions, conservation programs and stored-water provisions adjusted over time as conditions at Lake Powell, Lake Mead and throughout the basin evolve.
A separate international process governing Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico remains underway.
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