A new federal proposal for managing the Colorado River would force states to reassess their strategy every two years over the next decade. That would mark a shift from the old way of doing things, which saw water-sharing rules implemented for 20 years at a time, with no mandatory check-ins along the way.
Policymakers and policy analysts say the new strategy would come with pros and cons.
Details of the new proposal are limited, but Arizona officials shared some takeaways at a recent meeting of the Arizona Reconsultation Committee, which brings the state's water users together to talk about the future of the Colorado River.
Tom Buschatzke, Arizona's top water official, said a system that allows for Colorado River rules to be tweaked every two years would make it hard for cities and farms to make plans for using water.
"I think it will be a huge challenge moving forward to create the level of certainty that everyone's looking for under that process," Buschatzke told KJZZ. "If you're an end user of water, how do you plan not knowing how much water you're going to have out into the future?"
He also said that a system of two-year check-ins would keep state leaders stuck in talks, which have historically been unproductive.
"It would mean essentially that we will be in continual negotiations," Buschatzke said. "That will be a big burden."
State water leaders may bristle at the prospect of continued negotiations because they have already been meeting repeatedly for a long time with little to show for their efforts. Talks about replacing the current rules for managing the Colorado River expire this year, and the seven states that use its water have been meeting for the better part of the last five years without producing a consensus agreement about sharing the river.
However, Buschatzke said, state leaders may be driven by desire to avoid more negotiations, and a plan built around two-year check-ins could force them to agree on a longer-term plan.
Elizabeth Koebele, who researches water policy at the University of Nevada, Reno, said states need to make lasting changes to their water use.
"I think asking the basin decision makers to have to do a major renegotiation every two years is a lot to ask," she said. "Bigger changes on the river take a long time, and I don't think a two-year check-in really gives states capacity to make those big changes."
Koebele said the most recent federal proposal might be necessary to replace the rules that expire in a few months.
"It plugs in and says, 'We've got the first two years covered,'" she said. "Which is a good thing, because we're running out of time in the Colorado River Basin to come up with a plan for next water year. So if we can pair this federal framework with an immediate plan that will at least help stabilize the system for at least the first two years, then I think that's a positive step forward."
The Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency which put forth the new proposal, did not agree to an interview but provided a written statement.
"Given the risk and uncertainty facing the Basin, these elements are designed to provide stability while allowing flexibility to incorporate consensus‑based recommendations as they develop," wrote Peter Soeth, a Reclamation spokesman. "We appreciate the input provided by the basin states and are reviewing their proposals as we finalize the preferred alternative. We look forward to continued engagement and discussions with all of our partners."
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