The Bureau of Reclamation released a final environmental impact statement on July 31, 2026, establishing an adaptive decision framework to manage Lake Powell and Lake Mead through 2036. The new guidelines prioritize reliable water operations for more than 40 million people while maintaining the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions in the Colorado River Basin.
A Framework for Flexibility
The preferred course of action, as detailed in the Department of the Interior's announcement, utilizes an adaptive decision framework to develop operating guidelines that can be adjusted for both short- and long-term periods. This framework is designed to ensure the Colorado River system remains resilient for the millions of Americans, communities, and industries that depend on the water supply.
"The Department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. He noted that the framework preserves the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions.
Operational Sideboards and Constraints
Under the new framework, the Department will issue operating guidelines within specific sideboards at anticipated two-year intervals, unless consensus-based agreements allow for a longer duration. These sideboards establish key thresholds and ranges for operational elements to ensure environmental compliance and responsiveness to actual hydrologic conditions.
Specific operational sideboards include provisions for annual releases from Lake Powell ranging between 5.0 million acre-feet and 12.0 million acre-feet. The framework also allows for Lower Basin shortages of up to 3.0 million acre-feet and provides the ability to store up to 8.0 million acre-feet in Lake Powell and 3.0 million acre-feet in Lake Mead for future use. Additionally, the plan allows for voluntary Upper Basin conservation of up to 200,000 acre-feet, subject to hydrology.
Historical Inflow and Drought Trends
The necessity for these new guidelines is driven by a decades-long trend of declining water levels. According to the Department of the Interior, the combined contents of Lake Powell and Lake Mead have not been as low as they are currently since before the Glen Canyon Dam began filling in 1963. This decline is exacerbated by a 25-year period of drought conditions and expectations of continued dry conditions.
Data from the Department indicates that while the Colorado River Compact apportioned 7.5 million acre-feet to both the Upper and Lower Basins based on pre-compact average inflows from 1906 to 1921, actual conditions have shifted significantly. Between 2000 and 2024, inflows have averaged only 12.9 million acre-feet, well below the historical estimates. As of July 2026, unregulated inflow into Lake Powell is estimated to be only 3.5 million acre-feet.
Stakeholder Engagement and Process
The Bureau of Reclamation's final decision is the culmination of a National Environmental Policy Act process that began in June 2023. During this three-year period, the Bureau engaged with Basin stakeholders and received more than 18,000 comments, including 785 unique submissions from the public, tribes, states, and federal agencies following the release of a draft environmental impact statement in January 2026.
"This plan strikes a balance between flexibility and predictability for the Colorado River system that is vital to the 40 million people who rely on it given unprecedented hydrologic conditions and the potential for considerable impacts on water users," said Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Andrea Travnicek. The final statement specifically addresses domestic river operations, while a separate binational process regarding water deliveries to Mexico is nearing completion.
Consumption and International Cooperation
The complexities of managing the river are further highlighted by recent consumption statistics. Between 2020 and 2024, the average consumptive use in the Colorado River Basin was 13.1 million acre-feet. This usage is distributed among the Upper Basin (29%), the Lower Basin (49%), Mexico (11%), and evaporation (11%).
While the Bureau of Reclamation focuses on domestic operations, the Department of the Interior continues to coordinate with the International Boundary and Water Commission to discuss post-2026 operations and the implementation of the 1944 Water Treaty with Mexico through the Department of State.
Regional Management Leadership
The Colorado River serves as a vital resource for 30 tribes and two Mexican states, sustaining 5.5 million acres of farmland and supporting critical ecosystems and endangered species. As the region manages these water resources, the Colorado River Authority of Utah continues its administrative work. The Authority's leadership team is led by Executive Director Amy Haas and includes Principal Engineer Marc K. Stilson and Strategic Engagement lead Cody Stewart.
Other members of the Authority's leadership team include Betsy Coleman, Logan Anderson, Marty Carpenter, Emma Epperson, Amanda Daniels, and Operations Coordinator Emma Epperson. The Authority remains an active participant in the management and oversight of the region's water resources.
Looking Ahead to 2036
The implementation of this adaptive framework marks a shift toward managing the river based on actual hydrologic availability rather than historical averages. By establishing clear thresholds and a structured review process, federal officials aim to provide the certainty required by the millions of people and industries that depend on the Colorado River Basin.
