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A new federal plan to manage the Colorado river faces a possible future of water cuts

NPR | By Alex Hager,

Sacha Pfeiffer

Published July 31, 2026 at 3:28 PM CDT

Under a new federal plan out today to manage the Colorado river, Arizona, California and Nevada face potentially steep water cuts over the next decade. The plan by the Interior Department will impact communities and farms across those states. For now, the proposal spares Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming from mandatory water cuts. Legal battles are expected.

Alex Hager

Sacha Pfeiffer

Sacha Pfeiffer is a correspondent for NPR's Investigations team and an occasional guest host for some of NPR's national shows.

See stories by Sacha Pfeiffer

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