1. Colorado River Post-2026 Operations: IID's Water Priority Protected — For Now The Bureau of Reclamation released the final Environmental Impact Statement for post-2026 Colorado River operations, analyzing a 10-year framework with two-year operational guidelines negotiated on a rolling basis. Tina Shields reported that the EIS affirms "applicable laws" (i.e., the Law of the River and priority system) in the absence of voluntary lower-basin agreements, which is favorable to IID and California. A Record of Decision and operating guidelines are expected within weeks. Staff suggested returning with additional information once the Record of Decision and operating guidelines are released; the General Manager recommended waiting until those documents are available. Any implementing agreements — both lower-basin and intrastate — will require board approval before IID commits.
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