- Reclamation
- 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
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Colorado River
Reclamation Acts to Protect Colorado River System During Historic Drought
The prolonged drought combined with the lowest winter snowpack on record is requiring swift actions to protect this vital water system
April 17, 2026 — Long-term drought has reduced Colorado River system storage to about 36 percent of capacity, and the combination of the lowest snowpack on record and record-breaking March heat has further intensified drought conditions across the Basin. These compounding factors are creating elevated risks to essential water and power infrastructure that supply water to more than 40 million people, underscoring the need for immediate action. Read More »
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Colorado River Post 2026 Operations
Reclamation releases draft environmental review for post-2026 Colorado River operations
Process advances planning for future river management amid prolonged drought and ongoing negotiations
Jan. 9, 2026 — The Bureau of Reclamation today released a draft Environmental Impact Statement evaluating a range of operational alternatives for managing of Colorado River reservoirs after 2026, when the current operating agreements expire. The draft EIS evaluates a broad range of potential operating strategies. It does not designate a preferred alternative, ensuring flexibility for a potential collective agreement. Read More »
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Colorado River
Alternatives Report - Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead
Jan. 17, 2025 — Reclamation published the Alternatives Report to document the alternatives that were publicly released on November 20, 2024, and are anticipated to be carried forward in the draft EIS for the ongoing Post-2026 Colorado River Operations NEPA process. The alternatives identified in the report provide a reasonable and broad range of Colorado River operations that capture an appropriate range of potential environmental impacts from implementing new operational guidelines post-2026. The report also describes, in general terms, the process undertaken by Reclamation to develop the alternatives, provides a detailed description of the operational elements for each alternative, and compares the operational elements across each alternative. Learn more...
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Reclamation provides an update on Post-2026 process and alternatives at Colorado River Water Users Association Meeting
Dec. 5, 2024 — Reclamation's Carly Jerla provided an update on Lake Powell & Lake Mead Operations Post-2026. View presentation
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Colorado River Post 2026 Operations
Status Update Webinar-Alternatives Development
Reclamation held a webinar on Thursday, October 10, 2024, to provide a status update on the Post-2026 Process, including an overview of the ongoing work to develop NEPA alternatives.
Webinar Presentation -
Colorado River
Reclamation finalizes environmental process to combat nonnative fish below Glen Canyon Dam
July 3, 2024 — The Bureau of Reclamation today finalized its process to protect the humpback chub and other federally protected fish species with the signing of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the 2016 Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision. Reclamation initiated the environmental review process in response to the increasing numbers of smallmouth bass in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. Read More →
Current Activities
Reclamation released the Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead – Draft EIS for public download on January 9, 2026. During the 45-day public review and comment period on the Draft EIS, Reclamation hosted two public meetings and received over 18,000 submissions. Videos of the public meetings and the public comments can be viewed on the Draft EIS Public Review and Comment Process page.
Map of the Colorado River Basin
Federally Recognized Tribes in the Colorado River Basin
