State of Arizona Motion to Intervene, State of Nevada v. Burgum

Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) | October 16th, 2026

Recently, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation issued three agency actions that will govern the agencies’ release of water from federal dams and

Recently, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation issued three agency actions that will govern the agencies’ release of water from federal dams and reservoirs for the next decade.  If upheld, these actions would significantly reduce the supply of water available to the three States of the Lower Basin—Arizona, California, and Nevada—in violation of the 1922 Compact and related laws. Nevada brought this Administrative Procedure Act suit to challenge those agency actions and to protect its rights under the federal laws governing the Colorado River. Those same challenged actions affect Arizona at least as much as Nevada. Acting through the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, see Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 45-105(A)(9), Arizona therefore moves to intervene and participate in the resolution of these critical issues.

State of Nevada v. Burgum

U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada | August 24th, 2026

Nevada and the other Lower Basin States submitted an alternative to the proposed action for inclusion in the NEPA analysis that Plaintiffs maintain fully complies with th

Nevada and the other Lower Basin States submitted an alternative to the proposed action for inclusion in the NEPA analysis that Plaintiffs maintain fully complies with the Law of the River and better satisfies the purpose and need of the proposed action than the preferred alternative in the Final EIS. Federal Defendants failed to consider and carry forward the Lower Basin States’ alternative. Instead, the Final EIS and ROD authorize the Secretary of the Interior to impose on Nevada an annual reduction of 213,556 acre-feet at a 3.6 maf shortage, which constitutes approximately 71% of Nevada’s Colorado River entitlement. Furthermore, the federal defendants failed to analyze critical components of the Law of the River that would lessen the shortage burden of the entire Lower Basin. The magnitude of such shortages will cause acute environmental, socioeconomic, and health and human safety impacts to southern Nevada. Federal Defendants failed to consider such impacts in any meaningful way in the Final EIS.

Statement from ADWR Director Tom Buschatzke and CAP General Manager Ted Cooke in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior announcement of actions to protect the Colorado River system and 2023 Operating Conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) | August 16th, 2022

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the 180/400 Foot Aquifer Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | June 3rd, 2021

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Big Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | April 27th, 2023

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Indian Wells Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 13th, 2022

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Las Posas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 13th, 2022

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Napa-Sonoma Valley - Sonoma Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 26th, 2023

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the Napa-Sonoma Valley Basin -- Napa Valley Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | January 26th, 2023

Statement of Findings regarding the Approval of the North Yuba Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | November 18th, 2021