Negotiators representing California, Arizona and Nevada are pressing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to start over on the next plan to govern the drought-ravaged Colorado River.
In a Feb. 13 letter and attached analysis, the trio of states also took aim at a report issued in late January by the Bureau of Reclamation that summarized five operating plans under consideration, asserting that those proposals are rife with “technical and legal deficiencies.” The states, which want Interior to take another look at their proposal, asserted that Interior’s entire document should be retracted.
“We are encouraged by the renewed spirit of collaboration in our ongoing discussions and optimistic that, under your leadership, we can refocus on achieving a durable, consensus-based agreement that respects the needs of our States and Nation,” wrote JB Hamby, chair of the Colorado River Board of California; Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources; and John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
“Our collective goal is to secure a solution that respects the cooperation of the States and avoids litigation,” the trio added in the letter, which was obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News, referring to the specter of a Supreme Court battle over the river.
