Seven states miss Colorado River deadline; Bureau of Reclamation to set own plan

Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming failed to reach a consensus water management agreement by the February 14, 2026 federal deadline for post-2026 Colorado River operating guidelines. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that without a seven-state deal the Bureau of Reclamation would finalize its own plan, targeting an October 1, 2026 implementation date to govern the 2027 water year. The core deadlock centered on whether upper basin states would accept mandatory water cuts during drought years to shield lower basin states from steeper reductions.