American Rivers Applauds States for Action to Protect Colorado River

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145 

American Rivers today applauded the three Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, and Nevada) along with the US Bureau of Reclamation for continuing to urgently work towards an agreement to voluntarily conserve up to 3-million-acre feet of water by the end of 2026, with about half of that being conserved by the end of 2024. 

This agreement proposes a near-term management approach that the Lower Basin states are prepared to support between now and 2026.  They, along with the Upper Basin states, ask that this proposal be modeled and evaluated as a new action alternative as part of Reclamation’s current SEIS process. Once it is modeled and analyzed, Reclamation plans to issue a new SEIS document for public review and comment with a decision expected later this year. 

American Rivers recently named the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon as America’s Most Endangered River in 2023 due to the impacts of aridification and climate change negatively impacting the Grand Canyon, along with overallocation of the river overall.  

“This commitment from the states is exactly the kind of collaborative, urgent action that America’s Most Endangered River needs,” said Sinjin Eberle. This is a major step forward, and we will continue to encourage solutions to advance conservation measures across the basin to sustain the Colorado River and everyone who depends upon it.”