A deadline for the Colorado River negotiations passed without a deal, as the seven states that rely on the river were unable to reach consensus on new guidelines for managing Lakes Powell and Mead. The states had been expected to submit broad parameters by November 11, but made enough progress to warrant an extension. According to a joint statement from federal officials and state representatives, they now have until mid-February to reach an agreement and submit a proposal. The current guidelines are set to expire in October 2026, marking the start of the 2027 water year.
The ongoing talks are focused on future operating rules for Lakes Powell and Mead. These rules need to ensure both reservoirs remain viable and do not allow one reservoir’s levels to drop significantly in order to support the other. Both lakes have been close to critical lows in recent years.
Colorado Springs relies heavily on water from the Colorado River Basin. Half of its supply comes from transbasin diversions that cross the Continental Divide, which, because they can be reused, make up about 70% of customer usage. Prolonged drought has already impacted these supplies; for example, only 35% of expected yield was received in 2012 from Colorado River projects due to dry conditions. Proposed mandatory cuts by Lower Basin states could worsen these shortages.
The Colorado River starts as snowmelt in Colorado and flows southwest toward Mexico. Water is divided among seven states: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico form the Upper Basin; Arizona, Nevada, and California make up the Lower Basin.
Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, each basin was allocated use of 7.5 million acre-feet annually (75 million acre-feet over ten years). The Upper Basin must ensure that the Lower Basin receives its share via storage in Lakes Mead and Powell.
Long-term drought has reduced river flows while Lower Basin states have continued high withdrawals from storage—even during dry years when Upper Basin states used less water. This led Lake Mead and Lake Powell near critical levels in 2021. To address this, upstream federal reservoirs such as Blue Mesa in Colorado released additional water downstream as a temporary measure.
Negotiators representing Upper Basin interests argue that more water is consistently leaving Lake Powell than entering it because Lower Basin states are exceeding their allocation. They also note that evaporation losses at Lake Powell are not being fully counted by Lower Basin users.
Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Basin Commission, has advocated for protecting Colorado’s rights under the Compact: “She seeks to prevent Lower Basin overuse and has resisted attempts to impose additional cuts on the Upper Basin states beyond those already imposed by Mother Nature.” She continues efforts aimed at ensuring all Colorado River water users within her state are protected.
To prepare for potential shortages or changes arising from these negotiations, local authorities reference their 2017 Integrated Water Resource Plan which calls for diversifying sources—including developing Arkansas River supplies through agricultural partnerships—and expanding storage capacity and reuse systems. Conservation remains important: customers have lowered indoor use and outdoor consumption while adopting Water Wise landscaping practices.
Ongoing conservation measures combined with strategic planning aim to help communities like Colorado Springs manage their share of increasingly scarce Colorado River resources as discussions continue.
