If the basin’s full allocation of 7.5 million acre-feet of water was put to use, Colorado would receive about 3.85 million acre-feet of water. The Lower Basin’s 7.5 million acre-feet is split up so that Arizona can use up to 2.8 million acre-feet of Colorado River water; California, 4.4 million acre-feet; and Nevada, 300,000 acre-feet. That means the overall share of tribal water in the Colorado River Basin could change as legal quantification processes wrap up, experts say. Colorado water officials often argue that Lower Basin states use more than their 7.5 million acre-feet share of water. The Colorado River Basin states are not considering changes to the 1922 Colorado River Compact and the 1948 Upper Colorado River Basin Compact as part of these negotiations, according to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Source: Daily Sun August 14, 2023 10:05 UTC