Future Colorado River Operations – Decision Documents

For the past 26 years, the Colorado River Basin (Basin) has been experiencing an unprecedented drought, resulting in historically low runoff and reservoir levels. After a record-low snowpack during the winter of 2025-2026, the combined storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead is lower than it has been since before Lake Powell began filling in 1963. Lake Mead and Lake Powell also reached a record-low elevation in August 2026. Several of the major reservoir and water management documents and agreements that guide Colorado River operations expire in 2026, and in 2022 the Department of the Interior (Department) began engaging the Basin States, Basin Tribes, partner Federal agencies and other interested parties in pursuit of new consensus-based long-term operating guidelines. Consensus on long-term operations did not materialize. Instead, operating guidelines for a 2-year interval pursuant to a 10-year Decision Framework will be implemented by October 1, 2026.

For a summary of the information being issued, view the Fact Sheet: Future Colorado River Operations Fact Sheet

Record of Decision

The Department has issued the Record of Decision for the Decision Framework for Colorado River Guidelines: Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2027–2036). The Department is adopting the Decision Framework based on the Preferred Alternative analyzed in the Final EIS released on July 31, 2026.

The Decision Framework establishes the operational principles, sideboards (key thresholds and ranges for operational elements), and process that will support development and issuance of Operating Guidelines through 2036. The Operating Guidelines, or the objective criteria that will govern operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are anticipated to cover 2-year intervals unless consensus-based agreements provide for a longer duration.

ROD-Decision Framework for Colorado River Guidelines: Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2027–2036)

2027–2028 Operating Guidelines

Pursuant to the Record of Decision, and as a final agency action, the Department is issuing the Colorado River Guidelines for Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead Operating Years 2027 and 2028. The 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines are for Operating Years 2027 and 2028 only.

Colorado River Guidelines for Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead for Operating Years 2027 and 2028

See Colorado River System Projections Overview for model projections that reflect the 2027–2028 Operating Guidelines.

For any questions regarding the information provided here, please email: crbpost2026@usbr.gov.

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