To amend the Colorado River Basin Project Act to provide for the equitable distribution of Colorado River water for the lower basin States, and for other purposes.

Key Points

• This bill changes how water from the Colorado River is divided between Arizona, California, and Nevada during times of shortage. It aims to make sure no single state is forced to take much larger cuts than its neighbors.
• Currently, some water users have 'senior rights,' which means they get their full water supply while others might get nothing during a drought. This bill would remove those special preferences for these three states.
• Under the new plan, if there is a water shortage, all three states would have to reduce their water use by the same percentage based on their original agreements. This is known as a proportional or 'pro-rata' cut.
• This change would likely have a major impact on California, which currently holds some of the oldest and most protected legal rights to the river's water.
• The goal is to create a more equal system for managing the river as the Southwest faces long-term drought and shrinking water supplies.
• If passed, the Secretary of the Interior would be responsible for determining when a shortage exists and triggering these equalized water cuts.