Colorado River Basin

The Colorado River Basin, located in the southwestern United States, occupies an area of approximately 250,000 square miles. The Colorado River is approximately 1,400 miles long and originates along the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, and ends where it meets the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Colorado River is a critical resource in the West, because seven basin states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) depend on it for water supply, hydropower production, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and other benefits. Although agricultural uses depend on 70 percent of Colorado River water, between 35 and 40 million people rely on the same water for some, if not all, of their municipal needs. Moreover, the United States also has a delivery obligation to Mexico for some of the Colorado River waters pursuant to a 1944 Treaty with Mexico.

Featured Areas

Post 2026 Colorado River Operations

Supplemental EIS for Near-term Colorado River Operations

Drought Response Operations Agreement

Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program

Upper Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program

Operating under the 2007 Interim Guidelines

Review of the 2007 Interim Guidelines & 7.D. Report

Announcements

• Near-term Colorado River Operations

  Biden-Harris Administration Announces Next Steps to Protect Stability and Sustainability of Colorado River Basin

  Oct. 25, 2023 – The Biden-Harris administration today announced next steps in the Administration's efforts to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System and strengthen water security in the West. The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation released a revised draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) as part of the ongoing, collaborative effort to update the current interim operating guidelines for the near-term operation of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams to address the ongoing drought and impacts from the climate crisis. Read More →

• Colorado River Post 2026 Operations

  Biden-Harris Administration Advances Long-Term Planning Efforts to Protect the Colorado River System

  Oct. 10, 2023 – The Biden-Harris administration today announced next steps in the formal process to develop future operating guidelines and strategies to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River system and strengthen water security in the West. The guidelines under development would be implemented in 2027, replacing the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and the Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which are set to expire at the end of 2026. Read More →

• Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan

  Reclamation analyzing Glen Canyon Dam operations to disrupt invasive fish

  May 24, 2023 – The Bureau of Reclamation today announced it is initiating the formal process to develop future alternative operations at Glen Canyon Dam aimed at disrupting invasive fish from spawning downstream. The proposed flow options would potentially run through 2027. Read More →

• Colorado River Operations

  Reclamation announces 2024 operating conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead

  Aug. 15, 2023 – The Bureau of Reclamation today released the Colorado River Basin August 2023 24-Month Study, which determines the tiers for the coordinated operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead for 2024. These operating conditions, which are based on existing agreements under the 2007 guidelines and lower basin Drought Contingency Plans, will be in effect until the near-term guidelines from the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) are finalized. Reclamation is currently analyzing the consensus-based Lower Division States proposed alternative for the SEIS. Read More →

• Investing in America

  Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50 Million to Enhance Key Water Infrastructure in the Upper Colorado River Basin Through President’s Investing in America Agenda

  Aug. 14, 2023 – The Department of the Interior today announced $50 million over the next five years to improve key water infrastructure and enhance drought-related data collection across the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Bureau of Reclamation is making an initial $8.7 million investment in fiscal year 2023 to support drought mitigation efforts in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming that will help ensure compliance with interstate water compact obligations, maintain the ability to generate hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam, and minimize adverse effects to resources and infrastructure in the Upper Basin. Read More →