Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada

A proposal from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would force mandatory water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada to help preserve the shrinking Colorado River.

In an article for the Associated Press, Wufei Yu, Dorany Pineda and Brittany Peterson note that the proposal calls for deeper cuts than ever before, which could translate into higher water prices and significant impacts on agriculture. The three lower basin states would have to reduce their water use by up to 3 million acre-feet annually until 2036.

The federal government stepped in after the states failed to come to an agreement over how to share and conserve the river's water. Leaders from all three states criticized the plan, with Nevada officials calling the reductions "unrealistic and devastating." Arizona Department of Water Resources director Tom Buschatzke said the cuts would be "painful" to the state's farmers, who grow much of North America's leafy greens. 

Cities in the region are looking for other sources of water, tapping groundwater reservoirs, desalinating water and recycling wastewater — more expensive but potentially more sustainable ways to meet water demand.