Governor Gavin Newsom expressed support for a federal framework released by the U.S. Department of the Interior to manage the Colorado River over the next two years, while warning that longer-term solutions will require sustained cooperation among basin states.
"This is a necessary step to protect a river that 40 million Americans depend on, at a time when climate change is driving a regional water crisis," Newsom said in a statement.
The governor noted that California has reduced its Colorado River water use to the lowest level since 1949. He said the operations plan provides only short-term stability and called on all seven basin states to continue working together on a durable long-term approach.
"Any long-term solution must share responsibility fairly across all seven states in recognition of the new reality of the Colorado River," Newsom said.