Today, the Central Arizona Project filed a motion in Nevada district court to intervene in ongoing litigation against the Department of the Interior over Colorado River operations. CAP must have a seat at the table to ensure that its unique interests in the Colorado River are defended and that any resolution of that case contemplates CAP’s concerns.

“The actions by the federal government disregard the Colorado River Compact and other laws governing the Colorado River. Those of us who share this precious resource have no choice but to turn to the courts to correct those errors,” says Brenda Burman, general manager. “While our journey through the judicial process has just begun, we remain focused on finalizing an agreement with our partners in California and Nevada to provide water certainty through 2028.”

CAP’s intervention aims to prevent the implementation of fundamentally flawed and unlawful Colorado River operations that the Department of the Interior is attempting to impose through its Record of Decision and Operating Guidelines issued on August 21, 2026. These federal decisions fail to comply with the requirements of the Colorado River Compact and allow the existing breach of the Compact to continue unabated.