随着美国两大水库面临历史性的低水位，且为它们供水的科罗拉多河正遭遇气候变暖加剧的多年干旱，联邦政府原本希望依赖该河取水的七个州能够达成协议，共同分配日益减少的水资源。

　　在这七个州未能达成共识后，美国内政部（DOI）介入干预。周五，该机构下令大幅削减向加利福尼亚州、内华达州和亚利桑那州供应的科罗拉多河水量。

　　内政部宣布，从2027年开始的未来两年内，每年将向西部下盆地各州减少供水125万英亩-英尺。该机构还警告称，未来10年内可能会下令进一步削减水量。

　　尽管联邦政府强制要求整体削减供水量，但这三个受影响州之间的具体分担比例是基于它们在今年5月通过谈判达成的一项自愿协议。如果各州落实该协议，亚利桑那州将减少76万英亩-英尺的用水量，加利福尼亚州将减少44万英亩-英尺，内华达州将减少5万英亩-英尺。

　　内政部的运营指南还鼓励这三个州“在这两年期间，除了每年削减125万英亩-英尺的水量外，自愿节约并储存至少70万英亩-英尺的水资源，以保护该系统”。

　　虽然目前的削减幅度相当大，但这已好于联邦政府在7月份提出的最坏情况预案（当时曾建议下盆地每年最多削减300万英亩-英尺）。不过，根据水文条件的变化，未来仍有可能增加削减量。

　　内政部长道格·伯古姆（Doug Burgum）在一份声明中表示：“我们感谢七大流域州、30个流域部落、墨西哥以及许多其他流域利益相关者，他们提供的反馈和自愿安排对于制定2027-2028年运营指南至关重要。4000万人口、数百万英亩的农田和牧场、驱动美国西部发展的工业以及我国一些发展最快的大都市区，都依赖于科罗拉多河。”

　　除了削减用水量，内政部还表示将努力使鲍威尔湖的水位保持在3510英尺或以上，这比格伦峡谷大坝无法再发电的水位高出20英尺。

　　该机构没有强制要求上盆地的各州（包括科罗拉多州、犹他州、怀俄明州和新墨西哥州）削减用水，因为联邦政府对科罗拉多河上游部分没有同等的法律管辖权。但内政部正要求这些州同意运营弗拉明戈峡谷水库（Flaming Gorge）、纳瓦霍水库（Navajo）和阿斯皮纳尔水库（Aspinall），以便向下游放水，从而保护格伦峡谷大坝。

　　内政部负责水和科学的助理部长安德里亚·特拉夫尼切克（Andrea Travnicek）在一份声明中表示：“这些决定为流域利益相关者应对长期干旱提供了水资源管理策略，既纳入了灵活工具和自愿行动，也为达成共识协议留出了空间。”

　　该声明补充道：“内政部和垦务局将继续与所有流域利益相关者合作，寻找机会在整个流域最大化各项努力，推动基础设施现代化，制定保护计划，并探索在变化条件下的创新供水方法。”

　　Federal government orders steep Colorado River water cuts for Arizona， California and Nevada

　　With the two largest reservoirs in the nation struggling withrecord-low water levelsand the Colorado River， which feeds them， facing years of drought amplified by climate change， the federal government had hoped that the seven states that draw water from the river could reach an agreement on how to divvy up the shrinking supply．

　　After they failed to do so， the U．S． Department of the Interior （DOI） stepped in． On Friday， the agencyordered steep cutsto the amount of Colorado River water that will be delivered to California， Nevada and Arizona．

　　The DOI announced it would reduce the delivery of 1．25 million acre-feet of water each year for the next two years， beginning in 2027， to the Lower Basin states of the West． They also warned that they could order additional cuts over the next 10 years．

　　While the federal government is mandating the overall reduction， how it＇s to be divided among the three affected states is based on a voluntary agreement negotiated by those states in May． If the states implement the agreement， Arizona would see a reduction of 760，000 acre-feet， California would face a reduction of 440，000 acre-feet and Nevada would lose 50，000 acre-feet．

　　The DOI＇s operating guidelines also encourage the three states to ＂voluntarily conserve and store at least 700，000 acre-feet of water over the two-year period to protect the system， in addition to the 1．25 million acre-feet per year of reductions．＂

　　While the cuts are considerable， they are better than the worst-case scenario the federal government proposed in July， when it suggested the Lower Basin could face up to 3 million acre-feet of cuts per year． Additional reductions are still possible， depending on the hydrology．

　　＂We are grateful for the Seven Basin States， the thirty Basin Tribes， Mexico， and many other basin stakeholders who have provided the feedback and voluntary arrangements necessary for the development of the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines，＂ said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement． ＂Forty million people， millions of acres of farmland and ranchland， industries that power the American West， and some of our nation＇s fastest growing metropolitan areas depend on the Colorado River．＂

　　In addition to the reductions， DOI says it will try to keep Lake Powell at or above 3，510 feet， 20 feet above the point at which Glen Canyon Dam could no longer generate hydropower．

　　The agency didn＇t mandate reductions to the Upper Basin states， including Colorado， Utah， Wyoming and New Mexico， as it doesn＇t have the same legal authority over the upper part of the Colorado River． But it is asking those states to agree to operate the Flaming Gorge， Navajo and Aspinall reservoirs in order to send water down and protect Glen Canyon Dam．

　　＂These decisions provide a water management strategy for Basin stakeholders to respond to the prolonged drought by incorporating flexible tools and voluntary actions while leaving room for consensus agreements，＂ said Andrea Travnicek， Interior＇s Assistant Secretary of Water and Science， in a statement．

　　＂The Department and Reclamation will continue to work with all Basin stakeholders to identify areas to maximize efforts throughout the Basin to modernize infrastructure， develop conservation programs， and identify innovative approaches to deliver water under changing conditions，＂ the statement added．