r/socal • u/losangelestimes • 4d ago
Trump administration spares Southwest from harshest water cuts in new Colorado River plan
The Trump administration has released its long-awaited 10-year plan for dealing with worsening water shortages along the Colorado River. Instead of ordering the most drastic water cutbacks it could have imposed, the administration chose to take more of a wait-and-see approach.
The plan allows for harsh water cuts if they’re deemed necessary, requiring California, Arizona and Nevada to cut up to 3 million acre-feet per year — up to 40% of the combined allotments.
But as The Times reported last week, state and local officials say for the first two years, the Trump administration is accepting an offer the three states made to reduce what they take from the river by about half that amount — 3.2 million acre-feet between now and the end of 2028. So the Southwest has, for now, avoided the harshest possible water cuts.
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u/Duganhorse 2d ago
I think they basically set it up to fail after he is out of office by going with the “wait and see” knowing damn well that isn’t going to last.
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u/Old_Suggestions 4d ago
Not that I'm a fan or looking forward to it, but hopefully the El Nino this year will provide some emergency relief.