August 24, 2026 · Public Services, Science & Humanitarian Impact
· Litigation filed
Confirmed
Nevada Sues Interior to Throw Out the Entire 2027-2036 Colorado River Plan, Saying Upper Basin States Give Up Nothing
Nevada, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water Authority sued the Interior Department on Monday over the new Colorado River framework, which requires Arizona, California and Nevada to cut their river use by about 20 percent over two years while Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming face no mandatory cuts. The suit asks a judge to vacate Interior's entire 2027-2036 framework. Nevada already holds the smallest allotment on the river, 1.8 percent of the annual flow. Interior did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
Nevada is the first state to go to court over the plan, converting a failed seven-state negotiation into litigation and putting the allocation of a shrinking river before a federal judge rather than the basin states.
Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager John Entsminger said the region recycles nearly every drop that goes down the drain and has banned ornamental grass watering at nonresidential properties, and that the rules give it no credit for that. California and Arizona water officials have been more accepting of the two-year plan.
Nevada is the first state to go to court over the plan, converting a failed seven-state negotiation into litigation and putting the allocation of a shrinking river before a federal judge rather than the basin states.
Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager John Entsminger said the region recycles nearly every drop that goes down the drain and has banned ornamental grass watering at nonresidential properties, and that the rules give it no credit for that. California and Arizona water officials have been more accepting of the two-year plan.