national
Nevada Challenges Federal Colorado River Water Plan in Federal Court
Just the facts
The State of Nevada, along with the Colorado River Commission of Nevada and the Southern Nevada Water Authority, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging federal water management rules. The federal plan mandates a 20 percent reduction in water allocations for lower basin states—Nevada, Arizona, and California—over a two-year period. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo stated that Southern Nevada faces cuts exceeding 70 percent of its allotment while upper basin states face no mandatory reductions. The suit names the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation as defendants.
Why this is news
The legal challenge responds to a newly released U.S. Department of the Interior management framework that mandates substantial reductions in water releases to lower basin states.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.