Representatives from California, Arizona, and Nevada are advocating for a different strategy from the Trump administration regarding water shortages in the Colorado River. They emphasize the need to address infrastructure issues at the Glen Canyon Dam, which may limit water flow as Lake Powell levels decline. Officials argue that necessary repairs to the dam could avoid extreme water reduction measures. The group presented concerns to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, suggesting that a previous Biden administration report ignored their proposals and wasn't compliant with the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
"It's a better situation to have the dam actually function without tripping us up and forcing massive reductions," said JB Hamby, California's Colorado River commissioner. Making fixes to Glen Canyon Dam, he said, "would prevent the need for draconian reductions."
They urged Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to scrap a report the Biden administration released in November outlining options for new water management rules, arguing that it failed to consider their proposals and would violate the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the foundational agreement that apportions the water.
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