July 31 (UPI) -- Federal officials on Friday released an updated framework for the Colorado River, requiring Arizona, California and Nevada to significantly reduce their water use in the coming years.
The plan, released by the Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation, reduces the water available for use by the three states by 3 million acre-feet in the coming decade.
One acre-foot is enough water for as many as four households to use for a whole year. The cuts represent the largest proposed cuts for those states to date
"The [report] contains a framework that includes sideboards that are unacceptable for the state of Arizona," the Arizona Department of Water Resources said in a statement to The Colorado Sun. "Such reductions would devastate Arizona's water users and its economy."
The Colorado River's resources are divided among seven states, combined into two groups: Upper Basin states include Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, while Lower Basin states are Arizona, California and Nevada.
Upper Basin states have a target for voluntary cuts of up to 200,000 acre-feet per year, or 5% of their annual water use.
The Colorado River provides water for some 40 million people.
Federal officials said drought conditions over the past 25 years have dwindled the water capacity available to the states that rely on the river.
"The department has a responsibility to ensure the Colorado River system remains reliable and resilient for the millions of Americans, communities and industries that depend on it," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. "This framework provides the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions."