As the seven states that share Colorado River water face a Feb. 14 deadline to reach an agreement on water rights beyond 2026, Arizona state water leaders on Tuesday painted a dire picture of what the worst-case scenarios would look like for Arizona under the proposals on the table.
State water leaders said it was possible Arizona could sue other states or the federal government if they believe other states are in violation of their water obligations, but officials also said they hoped that could be avoided by striking a more agreeable deal.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the river's water rights, has put out a draft plan with several alternatives. All of them include Arizona and the other Lower Basin states taking cuts with zero cuts required for the Upper Basin states.
