TUCSON, Arizona — Although the top post at the Bureau of Reclamation remains without a nominee more than 100 days into the second Trump administration, state officials say the empty seat will not slow negotiations over a new Colorado River operating plan.
President Donald Trump has yet to put forth a leader for Reclamation, which is responsible for dams, reservoirs, canals and other infrastructure across 17 Western states.
David Palumbo, the agency’s deputy commissioner, is currently serving in an acting capacity.
But state officials said the lack of a Senate-confirmed leader is unlikely to hamper ongoing talks about how to share the Colorado River, as well as any potential cuts when flows are too low to meet the demands of some 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of farmland.
