- Reclamation
- Colorado River Basin
- Post-2026 Colorado River Reservoir Operational Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead
Post-2026 Colorado River Reservoir Operational Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead
Several reservoir and water management decisional documents and agreements that govern the operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead expire at the end of 2026. These include the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2007 Interim Guidelines), the 2019 Drought Contingency Plans, as well as international agreements between the United States and Mexico pursuant to the United States-Mexico Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande (1944 Water Treaty).
Pre-Scoping Comment Summary Report Webinar
Reclamation held a webinar on Monday, January 30th to provide information on the Post-2026 Pre-Scoping Comment Summary Report. The report summarizes the pre-scoping comments received in response to the Federal Register Notice published in June 2022.
Webinar Presentation
Pre-Scoping Comment Summary Report
Integrated Technical Education Workgroup
The Integrated Technical Education Workgroup (ITEW) was created to ensure that Colorado River partners have a common and accurate understanding of the underlying tools and concepts needed to meaningfully participate in the development of Post-2026 operating alternatives. The goal of the ITEW is to assist interested partners from across the Basin to gain a better understanding of the technical tools and approaches that we anticipate using in the Post-2026 Process. Participants include Tribes, States, municipalities, water and irrigation districts, non-governmental organizations, and other Federal agencies. Through the ITEW, Reclamation offers education about the models, data, and concepts used frequently in its studies, and shares information specifically about the technical framework that will support the Post-2026 Process.
ITEW Meetings
Kick-Off Meeting – December 7, 2022
June 2022 Federal Register Notice Request for Input
To help develop operating strategies for post-2026, Reclamation published a Federal Register Notice on June 24, 2022 asking for public input in two specific areas:
- Suggested mechanisms for the anticipated NEPA process(es) to ensure that a wide range of Basin partners, stakeholders, and the general public can meaningfully engage and participate in the development of post-2026 operational strategies
- Potential substantive elements and strategies that should be considered for post-2026 operations and considered in the anticipated upcoming NEPA process(es)
The purpose of the Notice was to receive input on the process and substantive elements for post-2026 operations prior to the anticipated initiation in early 2023 of a formal process pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Reclamation was particularly interested in receiving specific recommendations that recognize the need for robust policies that withstand a broad range of future conditions and are not based on a single set of assumptions about water supply and demand; the current and emerging operational challenges resulting from low runoff conditions; and the need for engagement and inclusivity, including all Basin tribes and Mexico, in Colorado River decision-making processes.
Summary of the Federal Register Notice Input Received
The comment period for the Federal Register Notice extended from June 24 through September 1, 2022. During this timeframe, Reclamation received 135 unique comment letters from concerned citizens, more than 1,964 submittals of the BlueRibbon Coalition “Fill Lake Powell – the Path to 3588 ft” form letter, and 55 in-depth stakeholder letters signed by 81 unique stakeholders.
Links to the stakeholder letters and the BlueRibbon Coalition form letter are available below, in alphabetical order, for viewing.
- AECOM
- Ak-Chin Indian Community
- American Whitewater
- Arizona Farm Bureau Federation
- Arizona Game & Fish Department
- Arizona Municipal Water Users Association
- Arizona Power Authority
- Arizona State University (Margaret Garcia)
- Blue Ribbon Coalition
- City of Avondale
- City of Chandler
- City of Peoria
- City of Phoenix
- City of Tempe
- Colorado River Commission of Nevada
- Colorado River District
- Colorado River Energy Distributors Association (CREDA)
- Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT)
- Colorado River Water Leaders – Water Education Foundation
- Dolores River Boating Advocate
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Gila River Indian Community
- Hopi Tribe
- Irrigation & Electrical District Association of Arizona (IEDA)
- Jicarilla Apache Nation
- Joint letter from the 7 Basin States
- Joint letter from Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District, Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation & Drainage District, New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District, Queen Creek Irrigation District, and San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District
- Joint letter from Jicarilla Apache Nation, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, American Rivers, Environmental Defense Fund, Living Rivers, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, The Sonora Institute, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited, and Western Resource Advocates
- Joint letter from Living Rivers, Great Basin Water Network, Center for Biological Diversity, Save The Colorado, Las Vegas Water Defender, Glen Canyon Institute, Utah Rivers Council, and Colorado Riverkeeper
- Joint letter from the Glen Canyon Institute, Returning Rapids Project, Utah Rivers Council, Living Rivers, Great Basin Water Network, Save the Colorado, and the National Parks Conservation Association
- Joint letter from The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Trout Unlimited, Western Resource Advocates, National Audubon Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and American Rivers
- Joint letter from University of New Mexico School of Law (John Fleck), Utah State University (Jack Schmidt), and Eric Kuhn
- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
- Mohave County Water Authority
- National Audubon Society
- National Park Service
- Navajo Nation
- Pacific Institute
- Quechan Indian Tribe
- San Juan Water Commission
- Scottsdale Water
- Sierra Club Colorado River Task Force
- Southern California Water Coalition
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
- The Sonora Institute
- Tohono O'odham Nation
- Tortolita Alliance
- Town of Gilbert
- Tucson Water
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Utah State University (David Rosenberg)
- Ute Indian Tribe
- Washington County Water Conservancy District
- Water and Tribes Initiative
- Western Resource Advocates
- Yavapai-Apache Nation
A link to the combined comment letters without attachments from concerned citizens is available below, followed by links to individual comment letters with associated attachments.Note, prior to posting the letters below, as a courtesy, Reclamation reached out to the concerned citizens who submitted input seeking confirmation to publicly post each letter.