In a statement, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said that the southernmost portion of his state stands to lose more than 70% of its share of Colorado River water as a direct result of the plan. Lombardo emphasized that the so-called “upper basin” states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming are “not required to contribute a drop.”
Nevada has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s new plan for the Colorado River.
According to The Guardian, the plan, released this past Friday, is expected to reduce the volume of water supplied to three lower basin states—Nevada, California, and Arizona—by about 20% over the course of the next two years. The plan also leaves the door open for the administration to make further, harsher cuts.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, names the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as defendants.
In a statement, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said that the southernmost portion of his state stands to lose more than 70% of its share of Colorado River water as a direct result of the plan. Lombardo emphasized that the so-called “upper basin” states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming are “not required to contribute a drop.”
“Under the proposed plan issued by the Department of the Interior, southern Nevada could lose more than 70 percent of its already meager Colorado River allocation while the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming are not required to contribute a drop,” Lombardo said in a press release. “This isn’t about political posturing; this is a matter of survival for a community that represents about two-thirds of our state’s citizens and the lion’s share of its economy.”
John Entsminger, the state’s general manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said that the area has already reduced water consumption by about 40%, despite seeing a population increase of more than 800,000 new residents in the past 25 years.
“Over the past 25 years, southern Nevada has become a global leader in water efficiency, reducing our Colorado River consumption by about 40 percent even as the community added 800,000-plus residents, so we have clearly demonstrated our ability to adapt and do more with less,” Entsminger said. “However, conservation has its limits, and there is just no way to meet even the basic needs of this community with the volume of water Interior has proposed.”
The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the Record of Decision on the water plan and prevent the implementation of certain provisions until its “numerous legal and technical shortcomings are resolved.”
“The Department of the Interior can’t roll Nevada and solve the entire Colorado River shortage on the backs of the Lower Basin states,” said Lombardo. “We’ve already shown that we’re willing to do our part, but the Colorado River is a shared resource, so the solution needs to involve everybody. Until that happens, we are prepared to fight for as long as it takes.”
Sources
Nevada files lawsuit challenging federal plan for Colorado River revival
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