LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada is suing the federal government over new Colorado River rules that state leaders say could eventually strip away more than 70% of Nevada’s share of the river.
State officials warn cuts that deep could mean more pressure on water rates, tougher outdoor watering rules and limits on growth if they take effect. The Las Vegas Valley gets about 90% of its water from the Colorado River.
Lawsuit follows new short-term cuts
The lawsuit comes days after federal officials finalized new short-term cuts for 2027 and 2028, forcing Nevada to leave 50,000 acre-feet — about one-sixth of its yearly Colorado River allocation — in Lake Mead each year. Four upper basin states face no mandatory conservation under the new rules.
Nevada says the long-term decision framework behind those cuts goes further, giving the Bureau of Reclamation the power to cut the state’s allocation by up to 70% over the following eight years.
‘Death sentence for Southern Nevada’
Congresswoman Dina Titus called that a “death sentence for Southern Nevada.”
“We could not survive a cut of that magnitude,” Titus said. She accused the Bureau of Reclamation of “outrageous duplicity” for downplaying the long-term risks while touting smaller cuts in the first two years.
Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger said that is why Nevada is now fighting the plan in court.
“What we’re worried about is if the federal government was successful in cutting seventy-one percent of Nevada’s water supply that you would have a situation where it’s difficult to meet your daily demands,” Entsminger said. “It’s difficult to ensure that all the homes and businesses have reliable water supply. So that’s why we’re going to court to protect those interests.”
Nevada says alternative plan was rejected
Entsminger said Nevada, Arizona and California offered a different plan that would have shared the reductions with the upper basin states, but the Interior Department rejected it.
“What the three states, California, Arizona, and Nevada, proposed was essentially sharing the pain across the entire Colorado River basin,” Entsminger said. “So that would require the four upper division states to make contributions as well.”
Governor Joe Lombardo said the federal government is “rolling Nevada.”
“The Department of the Interior can’t roll Nevada and solve the entire Colorado River shortage on the backs of the lower basin states,” Lombardo said. “We’ve already shown that we’re willing to do our part, but the Colorado River is a shared resource, so the solution needs to involve everybody.”
Lawsuit claims federal law violations
The lawsuit claims Interior’s new rules violate the century-old “Law of the River” and federal environmental law by ignoring the Colorado River Compact and by failing to analyze how deep cuts would affect Southern Nevada’s economy, environment and public health.
UNLV law professor Tom Romero said the case is breaking new ground.
“So I would say, at least when it comes to the management of the Colorado River, this is definitely unprecedented,” Romero said. “We have not seen this particular type of litigation before.”
Romero said the suit could test how much power the Interior secretary has to decide who takes the biggest hit as the river shrinks. He said litigation will not create more water in the system.
“Litigation won’t create more water,” Romero said. “I think that’s really important to know. It is not going to create more water, at least in the entire system.”
No change to water service for now
Entsminger said Nevada currently has water “in the bank” and the infrastructure to keep taps flowing while the case plays out. He said the lawsuit is about protecting water security years from now and ensuring any long-term plan requires all seven states to share the reductions, not just three.
There is no timeline yet for a hearing in federal court in Nevada. Water service is not changing for now, but the case will help decide how much Colorado River water Southern Nevada can count on in the next decade, and how much more conservation families and businesses may be asked to shoulder.
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