- Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met virtually with all seven Colorado River Basin state governors on July 21, 2026, to discuss the river’s future.
- The Interior Department is working with the states and 30 tribes to build consensus on a new management framework for the river.
- A long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement for post-2026 river operations is expected to be released next week.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 — The Colorado River keeps 40 million people alive in the American West. It fills drinking water taps, irrigates crops, and powers economies across seven states. So when the nation’s top interior official calls all seven of those states’ governors together for a meeting, people pay attention.
That is exactly what happened today when Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum gathered the governors of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming for a virtual meeting focused on one urgent question: what happens to the Colorado River next?
Thank you to the governors of the seven basin states, @GovernorHobbs, @JosephMLombardo, @GovofCO, @GovMLG, @GovCox, @GovernorGordon and @CAGovernor, for a productive meeting today and ongoing partnership in tackling the challenges facing this region.
The Colorado River is a cornerstone of the American West and key driver of the region’s economy, supporting jobs, communities, agriculture and energy production. Under
@POTUS ‘ leadership, @Interior is committed to working alongside the basin states to strengthen drought resilience, deliver reliable water supply and invest in the infrastructure needed to meet today’s challenges and build for a stronger future.— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) July 21, 2026
The Drought Is Real.
The backdrop for the meeting is sobering. Drought conditions across the Colorado River Basin have put pressure on water supplies that millions of families, farmers, and communities depend on every day. Secretary Burgum did not shy away from that reality.
“I am grateful to the Governors of the Seven Basin States for their leadership and commitment to finding solutions to address drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin,” Burgum said in a statement released July 21, 2026
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Tribes at the Table.
One detail worth noting is that the conversation is not limited to state governments. The Interior Department is also working with 30 tribal nations that hold water rights and have deep historical ties to the river. Burgum acknowledged this directly, saying the department “continues to work with the states and 30 tribes to get closer to consensus in recognition of the importance of the Colorado River to their economies.”
That inclusion matters. Tribal water rights in the Colorado River Basin are among the oldest and most legally protected in the West. Their role in any future management plan is not optional.
A Critical Document Is Coming.
Perhaps the biggest news to emerge from the July 21 meeting is what comes next. The Interior Department and the Bureau of Reclamation plan to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Post-2026 Operations next week.
This document has been a long time coming. The current rules governing how water is divided and released from the Colorado River’s major reservoirs, including Lake Mead and Lake Powell, were written in 2007. Those rules expire after 2026. A new operating framework must be in place before then, and the Final Environmental Impact Statement is a critical step in locking that framework down.
An Environmental Impact Statement is, at its core, a detailed federal study that examines how a major decision or policy will affect the environment, water supplies, wildlife, and communities. It gives the public and decision-makers a full picture before any final rules are set.
Why It Matters to Everyday People.
For many residents of the Southwest, the Colorado River is not an abstract policy debate. It is the water in the glass on the kitchen table. It is the irrigation system keeping local produce affordable at the grocery store. It is the hydropower keeping electricity bills manageable.
The outcome of these negotiations will shape water availability across the region for years to come. The release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement next week is expected to be one of the most consequential water policy moments the West has seen in nearly two decades.
