Nevada will lose 50,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water in each of 2027 and 2028 under the federal decision issued on August 21, 2026, assuming the Lower Basin states carry out their proposed sharing agreement. That is well above the 21,000 acre-feet Nevada gives up under the current Tier 1 shortage. Yet Southern Nevada used about 198,000 acre-feet in 2025, roughly 52,000 acre-feet below the reduced allocation of 250,000 acre-feet.
A smaller allocation, a smaller draw
Nevada's basic apportionment is 300,000 acre-feet a year, and essentially all of it supports the municipal demands of Las Vegas. The region's use has not moved in a straight line: about 187,000 acre-feet in 2023, about 212,000 acre-feet in 2024 and about 198,000 acre-feet in 2025. Return-flow credits matter here. Water used indoors, treated and returned to Lake Mead does not count against Nevada's consumptive use, and the 2024–2029 conservation plan's key measures target outdoor turf.
The lake keeps falling
Lake Mead fell to 1,040.5 feet on August 7, 2026, below the previous low of 1,040.58 feet set on July 28, 2022. Its surface is down about 160 feet since 2000. On August 20, 2026 the Southern Nevada Water Authority's Board also ratified a US$16.25 million federally funded agreement to leave 50,000 acre-feet in the lake in 2026.
Two years at a time
The new federal framework runs for 10 years, but its operating guidelines are expected in two-year periods. The headroom Southern Nevada has today depends in part on conservation, including nonfunctional turf rules that take effect on January 1, 2027 and are being challenged in court.
How the Authority's institutions, intakes and treatment plants fit together, what its capital plan now costs and which decisions will set its outlook beyond 2028 are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Southern Nevada Water Authority, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Southern Nevada Water Authority Utility Snapshot.