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Nevada sues Trump administration to block Colorado River plan

Nevada filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, claiming that its plans to cut water supplies from the drought stricken Colorado River would devastate Nevada and violate laws governing the Colorado River.

The Department of the Interior finalized on Friday its plan, which included a reduction of 21% in the water flowing from the river into California, Nevada and Arizona over a two-year period starting in 2027. Arizona and Nevada say that the cuts to the three states in the lower basin could double after 2028.

Colorado, Utah New Mexico and Wyoming are the four states that make up the so-called upper Basin and do not face any mandatory?cuts in the new 10-year management plan for the river, which provides water and power to 6 million people and is managed by the federal government.

After more than three years, the states could not agree on how to divide the water after a plan expiring this year.

The upper basin states have refused to make mandatory cuts in their water supply, claiming that they are already facing steep reductions because of the drought that has lasted for decades in western United States. Three lower basin states claim that all seven states who share the river are required to reduce their water consumption.

This is the first time that the plan has been challenged. The lawsuit was filed in federal court, Las Vegas, and named the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, as well as its Commissioner, Aubrey Bettencourt, as defendants.

The Interior Department refused to comment, and the Bureau of Reclamation didn't immediately respond to a comment request.

The lawsuit claimed that the administration violated administrative laws, environmental laws, and the group of agreements, treaties and court rulings known collectively as the Law of the River. The lawsuit alleged that the administration failed to comply with the requirements to take into consideration reasonable alternatives and foreseeable economic effects, fully respond to comments or adequately analyze mitigation measures.

The lawsuit stated that "decisionmakers and stakeholders have to guess how federal defendants will interpret and apply the Law of the River which they all agree governs the proposed actions."

(source: Reuters)