MOAB, Utah — The governors of the Colorado River Basin states confirmed no deal had been reached to manage the river that supplies water to more than 40 million people.
It is the second time the states have blown past a deadline set by the Trump administration, though they intend to keep talking. No new date has been set.
"In spite of nearly non-stop negotiations between the seven basin states over the last several months, we have been unable to reach agreement on a post-2026 operations plan. While we will continue to talk in the coming months, the Upper Division States of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico are pivoting our immediate focus to deal with the real enemy on this river—hydrology," Utah's Colorado River Commissioner, Gene Shawcroft, said Friday.
The impact of the stalemate leaves millions in a precarious situation. A forecast issued by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Friday projected horrifying declines to the Colorado River. For example, Lake Powell, was projected to see as much as three million-acre feet less into it this year. That's a 50-foot drop in elevation.
The potential for Glen Canyon Dam to reach minimum power pool — the lowest it can go to generate electricity — could happen by December. In the absence of a deal between the states, the Trump administration has threatened to make decisions that no state may like.
"The basin's poor hydrologic outlook highlights the necessity for collaboration as the Basin States, in collaboration with Reclamation, work on developing the next set of operating guidelines for the Colorado River system," acting Reclamation Commissioner Scott Cameron said in a statement. “Available tools will be utilized and coordination with partners will be essential this year to manage the reservoirs and protect infrastructure.”
Shawcroft told reporters there was the potential for a short-term deal. The current agreement expires in October.
"With the extremely low hydrology, record low hydrology, we are desperate to understand how we are going to operate this coming year," he said.
The disagreement between the states still seems to center around who cuts what and where and the desire to avoid litigation. Upper Basin states argue they are dealing with bad hydrology so they can't cut a lot and they may face significantly less water with a bleak winter. For example, Utah has begun paying some farmers not to grow crops and send the water down to Lake Powell.
"We are willing to undertake voluntary conservation activities with the recognition of what we’ve got imposed by Mother Nature, of course," said Amy Haas, the executive director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, who has also been negotiating on behalf of the state of Utah.
She argued Utah is "committing in good faith to water that may not be there."
Lower Basin states argue they have come to the table with cuts and wanted to see others do it, too.
"To secure a seven-state agreement for post-2026 management of the river, Arizona has offered to reduce its Colorado River allocation by 27%, California by 10%, and Nevada by nearly 17%. Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation," California Governor Gavin Newsom, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo said in a joint statement.
"Our shared success hinges on compromise, and we have offered significant flexibility, allowing states without robust conservation programs time to gradually develop these programs in ways that work in each state."
The statement also implied negotiations would continue: "Our commitment to a collaborative outcome is unwavering, and we will continue to pursue a negotiated resolution while protecting our water users."
In a statement, Governor Spencer Cox said he was still optimistic for a state agreement.
"We didn’t reach an agreement in this round of negotiations, but we’re not done. A solution is still within reach. I’m grateful for the states leaning in, thinking big, and working toward real progress. That’s what this moment requires. Utah is ready to make a deal. We will engage in good faith with partners who are committed to durable solutions, not soundbites," Governor Spencer Cox said in a statement to FOX 13 News.
His counterparts in other Upper Basin states agreed.
"We have come together in good faith throughout this process, and are putting every tool on the table available to us, including releases from our upstream reservoirs, a meaningful voluntary conservation both now and in the future, and continued strict self-regulation of water supplies," Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and New Mexico Governor Michlle Lujan Grisham said. "
Upper Basin water users live within the means of the River by adapting our uses every year based on available supplies. We continue pursuing a seven-state consensus, which would provide greater opportunity to pursue federal funding supporting conservation efforts and innovative water-saving technologies across the Basin. Together we can ensure a sustainable future for the river on which we all depend. We can and we must rise to this occasion."
Shawcroft said he was encouraged by the Lower Basin states' offer for reductions, particularly their initial offer of 1.5 million acre-feet in reductions, but it "wasn't enough."
"This is the first time we've been negotiating with such critical circumstances, such low hydrology and such low reservoirs," Shawcroft said.
Environmental groups FOX 13 News spoke with were a little frustrated.
"We are increasingly concerned that, after more than two years of negotiations, multiple deadlines, and extensive public engagement, the Basin states have still not reached agreement on a Colorado River management framework. With current guidelines set to expire this year, and the February 14 deadline now missed, continued gridlock carries real consequences for the River and those who depend on it," said a joint statement from American Rivers, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, and Western Resource Advocates.
Steve Erickson with Great Basin Water Network said this uncertainty was going to continue.
"We’re going to be in this limbo land for a while. I suspect there will ongoing discussions about cutting some kind of a shorter-term deal but it could be settled entirely by the federal government," he said.
On Utah's Capitol Hill, lawmakers have been anxious but preparing for fights. FOX 13 News first reported last week that the Utah State Legislature stashed $1 million into a fund for potential Colorado River legal fights.
"My hope is everybody comes together to try to help solve these problems," Senate President J. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, told FOX 13 News in an interview. "Whether it’s Colorado River or any other issue."
This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Colorado River at greatsaltlakenews.org/coloradoriver
