California, Arizona, and Nevada are expected to finalize a deal this week to slash their Colorado River water use by a combined 3.2 million acre-feet through the end of 2028, an agreement that would buy time for Utah but does nothing to lower the water bills headed Sandy residents' way.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to issue a binding record of decision on Friday, July 31, locking in cuts of 12% for California, 31% for Arizona, and 28% for Nevada, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The deal would replace the current 20-year Colorado River operating plan, which expires at the end of 2026, after three years of negotiations among the seven basin states.

Utah and the three other upper-basin states face no mandatory cuts under the agreement. The Bureau of Reclamation's draft plan calls only for voluntary conservation in the upper basin, backed by $100 million in federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, Reuters reported.

Jack Schmidt, director of Utah State University's Center for Colorado River Studies, told the Tribune he remains "skeptical if any sacrifice will be asked of the Upper Basin states," adding that what is expected of Utah and its neighbors amounts to a commitment "to try."

What it means for Sandy

The expected deal would not change the financial pressures already building locally. Annalee Munsee, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy, told the Sandy City Council on Tuesday, May 26 that the district anticipates bonding during fiscal year 2027 and a property tax rate increase in FY 2028 to fund capital improvements.

Lake Powell, which sits on the Utah-Arizona border and feeds the system Sandy draws from, is at just 23% capacity. Lake Mead is at 27%. The two reservoirs combined fell to their lowest levels on record the week of July 21. If Lake Powell drops another 33 feet, water will no longer reach the intakes that generate hydroelectric power at Glen Canyon Dam.

Sandy's City Council has already been shifting money toward water infrastructure. On June 16, the council voted 5-2 to strip $95,000 in Central Wasatch Commission membership fees from the city budget. Councilmembers Brooke Christensen and Kris Nicholl submitted the budget amendment, and most of the funds were redirected to the city's water capital fund for mainline replacements. The council overrode Mayor Monica Zoltanski's line-item veto of that provision on July 7.

What comes next

The lower-basin cuts could nearly double starting in 2029, reaching up to 3 million acre-feet per year through 2036 under the longer-term framework. The 10-year plan would be reviewed every two years.

A spokesperson for Gov. Spencer Cox said the governor's office was reviewing the deal's potential impact on Utah but did not provide specific comment.

Sandy residents can weigh in on the state's broader water planning at a virtual open house on Thursday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m., streaming live on YouTube. The event is part of the 30-day public comment period on Utah's draft 2026 State Water Plan, which we reported on July 23. Joel Williams, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, said when the draft was released on July 23 that "input from our partner agencies, stakeholders and the public is essential to creating a resilient water future for all Utahns." Comments are due by approximately August 22, and residents can submit questions in advance through a Google form at water.utah.gov/state-water-plan.