‘No state has sacrificed more:’ Arizona joins Nevada, sues feds over Colorado River plan

Arizona is joining Nevada in suing the Trump administration over its plan to manage the Colorado River’s dwindling supply of water. The plan asks the Lower Basin states who rely on the river — Arizona, Nevada and California — to reduce their use by 1.25 million acre-feet over the next two years, with the federal government asking Arizona to slash 760,000 acre-feet. The lawsuit alleges that the plan places a heavier burden on the Lower Basin states than the Upper Basin states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico — who also use the river's water but are not required to reduce their use.

Stephanie Casanova writes for High Country News:

“The Lower Basin states have contributed millions of acre-feet of water toward stabilizing the river system. With more than 5.5 million acre-feet of Arizona water left in Lake Mead since 2014, no state has sacrificed more,” Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said in an Oct. 16 statement. “The US decision puts the entire burden of sacrifice on the shoulders of three states. We are joining Nevada in challenging that framework.”

The motion, which the Arizona Department of Water Resources filed on Oct. 16, claims that the state’s cities, factories, tribes and farmers can't survive without sufficient water from the Colorado River.