On August 24, 2026, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority sued the Trump administration to block a new federal plan governing Colorado River operations that could significantly reduce Nevada’s water supply. The lawsuit challenges the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation’s recently finalized framework for managing the Colorado River beginning in 2027. Under the plan, Arizona, California, and Nevada—the three Lower Basin states—must reduce their Colorado River use over the next two years, while the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming currently face no mandatory cuts. 

Nevada argues that it has already undertaken significant conservation efforts, including recycling approximately 99% of indoor water use in Las Vegas, and that the federal framework would impose an unrealistic and disproportionate burden on Southern Nevada, potentially creating a significant water shortfall. According to the complaint, such a reduction could have devastating environmental, economic, public health, and safety consequences for Southern Nevada, which is home to approximately two-thirds of Nevada’s population and accounts for a substantial portion of the state’s economy. Nevada argues that the Colorado River is a shared resource and that the federal government cannot address the river’s ongoing shortages by placing the burden primarily on the Lower Basin states.  

Nevada is asking the court to declare the federal government’s actions unlawful and vacate the entire 2027–2036 Colorado River framework. 

“This shortfall will cause devastating environmental, socioeconomic, and health and human safety impacts to southern Nevada and its citizens,” the complaint states.