LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Valentine's Day is on Saturday, the same day as the deadline for Colorado River negotiations.
However, seven states aren't feeling the love after failing to meet a second deadline to agree on how water from the river will be used in the future. The current guidelines will expire at the end of 2026.
On Friday, John Entsminger, Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager and Nevada's lead Colorado River negotiator, said it was disappointing, especially after spending years trying to come to an agreement.
"As I talk with people throughout Southern Nevada, I hear their frustration that years of negotiations have yielded almost no headway in finding a path through these turbulent waters," he said in a statement. "As someone who has spent countless nights and weekends away from my family trying to craft a reasonable, mutually acceptable solution only to be confronted by the same tired rhetoric and entrenched positions, I share that frustration."
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He added that Nevada cannot solve the river's problems on our own and we're already doing our part when it comes to water conservation.
"We receive only 1.8% of the river's flow, so from a hydrological perspective, we're little more than a rounding error. The actions we have taken over the past two-plus decades are less about raising Lake Mead's elevation than they are about protecting ourselves if things go from bad to worse," Entsminger said in a statement. "With the states' refusal to compromise, the severity of those reductions will likely be in the hands of federal government officials or judges, but the savings that our community has built will provide protection for our most critical water needs."
We caught up with Entsminger on Friday to learn more. For example, what the biggest sticking point is when it comes to negotiations.
"The Lower Basin states, which are Arizona, California, and Nevada, want the Upper Division states, which are Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico, to do more in terms of conservation. We've put a substantial amount of conservation on the table and we don't feel what they've put on the table is commensurate," Entsminger explained. "Meanwhile, they're asking that we waive, essentially, all of our legal rights for the term of the agreement and that just doesn't seem like a very fair trade."
On Friday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs released a joint statement echoing what Entsminger told us.
"To secure a seven-state agreement for post-2026 management of the river, Arizona has offered to reduce its Colorado River allocation by 27%, California by 10%, and Nevada by nearly 17%. Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation," the statement reads in part. "Our shared success hinges on compromise, and we have offered significant flexibility, allowing states without robust conservation programs time to gradually develop these programs in ways that work in each state ... The stakes couldn't be higher for our Lower Basin states."
According to the governors, Nevada, California and Arizona account for 75% of the population, employment, and agricultural crop sales in the Colorado River Basin.
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So what happens next?
Even though the deadline will pass without an agreement, Entsminger said state negotiators are continuing to meet to try to find a compromise that all seven states are okay with.
"So there's 75% to 80% of the components of a rational deal kind of floating around there, but some of these entrenched positions makes it really difficult to get from the 20-yard-line to the end zone," Entsminger added.
And as far as the federal government stepping in, he estimates state negotiators still have some time.
"The real deadline is probably more like beginning of August, in terms of when the Bureau of Reclamation needs to decide how they're going to operate the river for 2027," Entsminger explained. "So I think it's incumbent on the seven states to stay at the table and keep working and deliver for our constituents."
The state negotiators are hoping to have a deal in place before that happens.
"The federal government has a sledgehammer. The states are the one with the scalpel, if we want to craft a better deal."
As for federal proposals, last month, the Bureau of Reclamation released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
It outlines several federal proposals for how the water can be shared.
The Bureau of Reclamation is giving the public a chance to weigh in and share their thoughts on the five options. They will accept public comments through March 2.
You can submit your comments by sending an email to crbpost2026@usbr.gov.
You can also call (602) 609-6739 or mail your comments to the Bureau of Reclamation at the following address:
Bureau of Reclamation
Attn: BCOO-1000
P.O. Box 61470
Boulder City, NV 89006.
What does this mean for you?
One question that we've heard from viewers is if future Colorado River guidelines mean more water cuts across the valley.
"I would say I believe we're the most water secure city in the Southwest because we've been preparing for this for 25 years. We've built $1.5 billion in infrastructure that nobody else has. We've recycled nearly 100% of our indoor use, which nobody else does," Entsminger said. "I believe the level of cuts that we could reasonable see to our allocation would not materially affect the day-to-day life of Southern Nevadans."
That's because they've also being adding to our "water savings account."
"[It] has banked water in aquifers in Arizona, has banked water in reservoirs in California, has banked water right under our. feet here in Southern Nevada. All told, that savings account adds up to more than two million acre feet of water," Entsminger said. "If you look at our water use last year, it's more than 10 years of use. So even if we were to be cut by 17%, the amount of water we have is still sufficient to see us through the 2070s."
