Nevada filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump Administration's new rules that drastically cut the state's access to the Colorado River.
Under new regulations finalized by the Department of the Interior last week, the Lower Basin states — Arizona, California, and Nevada — have to cut their share of the Colorado River by 1.25 million acre-feet over the next two years. Upper Basin states like Utah do not.
According to the suit, the reduction unfairly slashes Nevada's share of the river by about 71%, down to about 86,000 acre-feet of water a year. For context, the state used about 212,000 acre-feet in 2024.
John Entsminger oversees the Southern Nevada Water Authority, one of the litigants. He says the state has a legal right to that water.
"The entire Southern Nevada economy is based upon a legal entitlement to 1.8% of the Colorado River," said Enstminger. "And we have the Federal government coming in and asserting that they have the authority to take 70% of that meager 1.8%."
The complaint alleges that federal officials failed to analyze how the cuts would fully impact Nevada's economy, despite a legal requirement to do so.
The state is asking a judge to vacate the Department of Interior's entire 2027-2036 framework for the Colorado River.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
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