Department of the Interior Releases 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines for Colorado River
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-Editorial
The U.S. Department of the Interior has released its Record of Decision and 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines for the Colorado River, establishing operating rules for the river’s major federal reservoirs over the next two years.
The guidelines follow Interior’s Final Environmental Impact Statement, which establishes a 10-year framework for Colorado River operations under the department’s preferred alternative. Specific operating guidelines will be issued every two years.
The guidelines address operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead amid prolonged drought conditions. They establish criteria for annual water releases while seeking to protect reservoir elevations needed for critical infrastructure.
The guidelines also allow for additional drought operations at upper reservoirs above Lake Powell when water levels require additional protection. Those operations could be implemented through a separate agreement involving the Upper Basin states or, if no agreement is reached, under Interior’s existing authorities.
The Imperial Irrigation District, which supplies Colorado River water to the Imperial Valley, said the guidelines provide greater clarity for reservoir operations but that additional agreements will be needed to implement them.
“The Lower Basin is putting substantial, measurable water reductions and conservation on the table to help stabilize the system,” IID Board Chairwoman Karin Eugenio said in a statement. “Our work now turns to implementation, and IID will remain fully engaged as those actions and agreements are developed.”
Under a proposal from the Lower Basin states, California, Arizona and Nevada are expected to reduce water use by a combined 1.25 million acre-feet in both 2027 and 2028. The proposed reductions include 440,000 acre-feet from California, 760,000 acre-feet from Arizona and 50,000 acre-feet from Nevada.
The plan also calls for at least 700,000 acre-feet of additional Lower Basin system conservation between 2026 and 2028, using federal cost-sharing funds.
IID said its conservation programs have generated more than 9.8 million acre-feet of conserved Colorado River water since 2003 through agricultural efficiency measures, system improvements and voluntary agreements. The district said its programs generated 726,000 acre-feet of conservation in 2025.
A portion of conservation generated in 2026 through IID’s Deficit Irrigation Program, using federal funding, is expected to count toward California’s share of the 700,000-acre-foot commitment under the new guidelines.
IID said its conservation efforts over the past four years have contributed more than 12 feet of elevation to Lake Mead.
“The Colorado River has to be sustainably managed as a system to provide for long-term resilience,” IID General Manager Jamie Asbury said. “Lake Powell’s operations directly affect Lake Mead, which IID and its communities rely on for their water supply.”
The release of the federal guidelines shifts attention to developing agreements and other actions needed to implement the provisions among the Lower Basin states. A separate agreement within California will also be needed to implement the state’s provisions.
IID said it will continue participating in discussions and negotiations. Any final agreements involving the district would require approval from the IID Board of Directors.
The 2027-2028 guidelines provide an interim framework but do not resolve longer-term disputes and challenges surrounding Colorado River management. IID said it will continue advocating for policies that protect Imperial Valley’s senior water rights and require water contributions from states that depend on the river.
