Nevada sues the Trump administration over ‘catastrophic’ water cuts as the Colorado River spirals into crisis | CNN

Last week the Trump administration announced major cuts to the water Arizona, California and Nevada can take from the drought-stricken Colorado River; this week Nevada sued, calling the plan “fundamentally flawed.” It marks what could be the first of many complex and lengthy legal wrangles over the crucial waterway — and is yet another sign of how fraught water sharing is becoming on a hotter, drier planet. On Friday, the Department of Interior released its operating guidelines, requiring water cuts of roughly 20% across the three so-called lower basin states over the next two years. Even deeper cuts could follow if the situation on the Colorado River doesn’t improve. ☀️ Get your local forecast from the CNN Weather app Decades of severe climate-change fueled drought and years of heavy use have hammered the river which irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland, generates hydropower and provides water to roughly 40 million people. Both of its vast reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — have tumbled to record lows over the past few weeks. The Trump administration plan came after years of negotiations between the seven states that rely on the Colorado River fail