Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, Boaters at the Table

Last week, the Southern Rockies Team traveled to the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. We met directly with the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and our non-profit partners about the future of the Colorado River and how changes in reservoir operations at Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams will impact the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon. 

 We also listened in on discussions between the Colorado River Basin states and federal agencies, who have still not been able to come to a decision on how to reduce water use to align with available hydrology. In November, Reclamation released a broad concept plan for possible reservoir management strategies, but they are still a long way from fully baked ideas and further from reaching consensus among water users. Time is running out as a plan needs to be in place by August of 2026. The health of the river has the most to lose if a plan doesn’t come together. 

 We continue to advocate for the health of the river, basinwide water conservation, and flow regimes in the Grand Canyon that will continue to support a robust recreation economy. We expect more information about what is included in the draft alternatives for dam operations in the coming months. This will help in our work with agencies on identifying potential recreational and ecological impacts and how they can be understood.

 The current long-term management negotiation process is not going to include daily or even monthly flow commitments in the Grand Canyon, but it will determine thresholds for annual release volumes and what that means for minimum flows in the canyon which can make or break the ability to do river trips. We have asked federal managers to provide as much detail on flows as possible so that we can better understand what the impacts may be to river recreation before long-term decisions are made about the future of reservoir operations. 

Uncertainty is the name of the game right now for the Colorado River. The upcoming guidelines for dam operations will have significant impacts on how the river flows, especially through the Grand Canyon. However, solving for a diminishing water supply will take coordinated efforts across the basin to ensure the rivers we love stay healthy and flowing free. 

Kestrel Kunz

Southern Rockies Protection Director

Hattie Johnson

Southern Rockies Restoration Director