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Arizona, six other states agree on Colorado River water plan

Alyssa Chubbuck, left, and Dan Bennett embrace while watching the sunset at Guano Point overlooking the Colorado River on the Hualapai reservation Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, in northwestern Arizona.
John Locher
/
AP Photo
Alyssa Chubbuck, left, and Dan Bennett embrace while watching the sunset at Guano Point overlooking the Colorado River on the Hualapai reservation Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, in northwestern Arizona.

Arizona, California and Nevada have officially agreed on a plan to take less water from the drought-strained Colorado River.

The plan commits to 3 million acre-feet in cuts to their take from the river over the next three years in exchange for about $1.2 billion in federal funds.

The states have also agreed to make additional cuts beyond that amount to reach the total reductions needed to protect the collapse of the river.

The reductions amount to an estimated 13% of the total water use in the lower Colorado River basin and will likely cause significant water restrictions for residential and agricultural uses.

However, the proposed cuts are significantly less than what federal officials and scientists say is necessary to stabilize the river system. The Lower Basin Plan has been submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation.