Arizona and Nevada agree to trade Colorado River rights for desalinated Pacific Ocean water

A decade-old treatment plant in San Diego County could leave more water in the Colorado River for states facing severe shortages.

(Sandy Huffaker | The New York Times) From left, Dan Denham of the San Diego County Water Authority; Scott Cameron of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Tom Buschatzke of the Arizona Department of Water Resources; and Colby Pellegrino of the Southern Nevada Water Authority toast with glasses of water at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant in Carlsbad, Calif., on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Arizona and Nevada agree to trade Colorado River rights for desalinated Pacific Ocean water

A decade-old treatment plant in San Diego County could leave more water in the Colorado River for states facing severe shortages.

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