LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — October 1 marks the beginning of the new water year on the Colorado River, and with it, the first round of cuts made necessary by a long-term drought throughout the southwest.
In lieu of a long-term agreement among the seven basin states, a short-term, negotiated deal calls for Nevada to cut 50,000 acre feet per year for the next two years.
But water managers say that shouldn't be a problem, given that Nevada gets 300,000 acre feet from the river every year, and used just 198,000 acre feet in 2025.
"That means we have a 102,000 acre-foot buffer, and the reduction comes out of that," says Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager for resources at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. "So we do still have quite a bit of flexibility between the reductions that are assigned to us today and our current water use."
WATCH | Southern Nevada ready for Colorado River cuts
In addition to the 50,000-per-year acre foot cuts, Nevada also agreed to set aside an additional 100,000 of acre feet in Lake Mead. Pellegrino says the state has a jump start on that total, already saving 50,000 acre feet. The balance will be set aside in the next two years.
Other lower-basin states — California and Arizona — have agreed to make cuts in their water use as well.
The cuts come as a result of a drought that has stretched to nearly 30 years, and come on the heels of the 2025-2026 year, which was the fourth driest on record.
Although Southern Nevada will weather the cuts without any major changes, Pellegrino says it's important for locals to continue their efforts at conservation.
"Conservation is more important than it's ever been," she said. "I get asked regularly, 'what else are you going to ask us to do?' Under most reasonable outcomes on the river, we don't have to ask the community to take new conservation measures. We have to execute flawlessly on the ones we have in place. We have to continue to pursue non-functional grass, not wasting water, fixing and repairing our leaks, following the watering schedule. Those are the things this community can do every single day that make a difference."
If the outlook for the short term is good, the long-term perspective is less so. Under a plan put forward by the federal government, lower-basin states would be required to make much more Draconian cuts.
Nevada could lose up to 71% of its Colorado River share under the federal proposal, which sparked a lawsuit against the federal government seeking to avert the cuts. Lawyers for the government have yet to file a response in that action.
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