Click the link to read the article on the AZCentral website (Branson Loomis). Here’s an excerpt:
September 3, 2026
Key Points
- The CAP board authorized legal action “if necessary” against the Interior Department over its plan to manage shortages on the Colorado River.
- Nevada has already sued the feds over the plan, claiming that it violates the Colorado River Compact and would devastate the Las Vegas economy.
- Arizona lawmakers have set aside money and hired a law firm to sue the federal government, but have not acted yet.
The Central Arizona Project’s board authorized its legal counsel to take legal action “if necessary” against a federal plan to cut Arizona’s share of Colorado River water dramatically in coming years. Board members went into a closed executive session before the Sept. 3 vote to discuss certain “occurrences” that could trigger a lawsuit or other legal filing, and did not specify them when voting unanimously for the authorization. Board member Alexandra Arboleda introduced the motion at the meeting and prefaced it with a statement that the United States Department of the Interior’s 10-year framework for dealing with water shortage “contemplates operations that are contrary to law and devastating to the water users of the Central Arizona Project.”
