‘Alarming’ Colorado River Cuts Plan Seen as Tactic to Spur Talks

A proposal for mandated Colorado River water use cuts outlined by the Interior Department this week is intended to show the extremes of possible federal action to spur states to reach a water conservation agreement themselves and avoid litigation, negotiators and water law watchers say.

But if the Biden administration moves ahead with either of its proposals for forced water cuts, litigation is nearly inevitable, and would likely reach the Supreme Court.

The scenarios appear designed to “motivate parties to find common ground between two extremes and avoid litigation that otherwise might result,” said David Osias, a partner at Allen ...