On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the members of the CSG West Colorado River Forum (CRF) convened for a virtual meeting. The meeting was led by the co-chairs of the CRF, California Assemblymember Diane Papan and New Mexico Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart.  

Scott Cameron, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Acting Commissioner, provided members of the CRF with an overview of the current hydrological conditions of the Colorado River Basin as well as the status of ongoing negotiations among the river basin states to reach a deal on post-2026 operating guidelines.  

Highlighting Secretary Burgum’s Directives 

Acting Commissioner Cameron shared U.S. Secretary Interior Doug Burgum’s three directives to his team, which were: engage constantly with all seven basin states at the political level; strongly prefer a seven-state deal (ideally a 20-year agreement) over federal imposition; and honor the federal government’s trust responsibilities to Indian tribes. 

Worsening Conditions 

Acting Commissioner Cameron was blunt about the Acting Commissioner Cameron was blunt about the deteriorating hydrological situation. He stated that Lake Powell is at real risk of losing hydroelectric generation capacity this summer, potentially forcing reliance on river outlet works never designed for long-term use. Lake Mead has also declined. Worse, as hydrological conditions have worsened, the seven states have moved further apart rather than closer to an agreement. 

No Deal in Sight 

Despite biweekly engagement since April 2025, no seven-state, six-state, or even three-state lower basin deal has been reached. The goal has shifted from a 20-year framework to simply getting through the next two years. The Interior Secretary is now developing a “preferred alternative” under the NEPA environmental impact statement process, which will be shared with tribes and states in the coming weeks, with a Record of Decision expected in July 2026. 

Immediate Actions Taken 

To protect the engineering integrity of Glen Canyon Dam, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation made two recent decisions: releasing 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge (the only viable upper initial unit reservoir); and reducing releases from Lake Powell from about 7.5 million acre-feet down to 6 million — meaning the lower basin receives roughly 1 million acre-feet less water than anticipated. 

Upper Basin Conservation Challenge 

A major sticking point in negotiations is whether upper basin states can legally “shepherd” conserved water to Lake Powell. Utah has had enabling legislation for years; Wyoming just passed similar law. New Mexico has a productive tribal water-leasing arrangement. But Colorado has no such framework, which Acting Commissioner Cameron flagged as a significant gap — noting he has raised it with U.S. Senator Hickenlooper’s office. 

The Federal Role & Leverage 

Acting Commissioner Cameron was candid that the federal government’s leverage is limited. He stated that threatening to run upper basin units dry or cut the Central Arizona Project to zero are irresponsible or already-known outcomes. His recommendation to higher Interior Management for the FY28 budget is to fund only projects that add water to Lake Powell, Lake Mead, or the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) upper units — not those that draw water out — although the U.S. Congress will ultimately decide. 

Long-Term Solutions 

Acting Commissioner Cameron emphasized that simply shifting water from agriculture to reservoirs doesn’t create new water. New supply must come from desalination (especially along the California coast), water recycling (pointing to projects coming online in Phoenix and Los Angeles), groundwater management in Arizona, and interstate water exchanges. He highlighted a June 3rd MOU signing in San Diego to establish a framework for California-Nevada-Arizona water exchanges and noted state legislatures have a direct role in enabling or blocking these solutions. 

Call to State Legislators 

Acting Commissioner Cameron closed by stressing that with a Secretary of Interior who respects state water law and has no desire to preempt it, the burden falls on state legislators to solve problems within their borders. He praised John Ensminger, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, as a consistent dealmaker and urged the group to continue their political engagement, noting Secretary Burgum still hopes to receive a joint seven-state rescue package proposal.  

Members of the CRF expressed appreciation for Acting Commissioner Cameron’s insights. These issues will continue to drive conversation among the members of the CRF. The next in-person meeting of the CRF will convene September 9-11, 2026, in San Diego, California. More details will be available soon.