March 11, 2023 –
As part of the ongoing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to develop new operating guidelines for Lakes Powell and Mead, the Upper Division States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming (collectively, UDS) submitted an alternative (UDS Alternative) to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation on March 5th, 2024. The UDS requested that Reclamation advance the UDS Alternative through the Post-2026 NEPA process for modeling and evaluation as an effective plan to operate Lake Powell and Lake Mead in the coming years that will both protect those reservoirs and provide benefits to the entire Colorado River Basin.
