Arizona is gearing up for a potential legal showdown to safeguard its water rights amid growing tensions over the Colorado River's dwindling supply.

The Colorado River is known as one of the most spectacular rivers in the United States of America. It is a valuable source for both drinking and other needs of people and provides water to more than 40 million people.

The Interior Department will consider five options as it works to develop a new framework to govern Colorado River water cuts after current guidelines expire in 2026, according to a new report released by the agency.

Bastrop city officials said residents will see a smaller rise in water levels along the Colorado River than originally expected following a gate failure at Longhorn Dam on the afternoon of Jan. 28. Update: Jan.

Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act was allocated to conserve water and protect habitat, but President Trump's executive order put that spending on pause.

Arizona is hoping for consensus but preparing for a possible legal battle as it negotiates a new multistate agreement over how Colorado River water is allocated in the event additional cuts are needed.

Anne Castle said in her resignation letter that President Donald Trump's politicization of California water issues is undercutting delicate negotiations

Many city residents and farmers from other counties spoke out against the proposal during the public hearing and comment periods.

The result is that the federal Colorado Basin River Forecast Center is now predicting that April through July flows into Powell will be only 76% of normal. That's down from 81% at the beginning of 2025.

January's Colorado River basin snowpack is about normal, but without a snowy late winter, Arizona will likely see sustained water cuts on the river.

In the last hours of the Biden administration, the Bureau of Reclamation announced it would spend $388.3 million for environmental projects in Colorado and three other Colorado River Basin states.

Experts anticipate about a 1-foot rise in water levels, brining the river stage to 3.5 feet. For reference, the flood stage starts at 23 feet.