1. Federal Colorado River Management Documents Imminent — Major Implications for Valley Water Supply The Bureau of Reclamation is expected to release its Record of Decision (ROD) and Management Guidelines as early as this week or next. The Federal EIS preferred alternative sets a 10-year framework requiring basin states to negotiate agreements in two-year increments — a structure that concerns lower basin stakeholders because the upper basin states and the federal government appear to be prioritizing keeping Lake Powell full at the expense of Lake Mead and lower basin deliveries. California is currently bearing the largest voluntary burden of river shortfall reductions, and if Lake Mead loses storage capacity, delivery challenges could escalate significantly by next year. Litigation by one or more states is widely anticipated once the ROD and Management Guidelines are finalized.
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