Nevada sues Trump administration over Colorado River cuts

Nevada launched legal action Monday against the administration of US President Donald Trump over a federal plan to cut the state's access to Colorado River water.

The federal government announced last week that it would impose cuts on water use by the lower-basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada, while leaving allowances unchanged for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

The plan would reduce the three lower-basin states' collective water use by up to 3.7 billion cubic meters per year until 2036.

Nevada officials say the change could reduce the state's allocation by two-thirds and threaten Las Vegas, which depends on the river for 90 percent of its water.

Governor Joe Lombardo said the case was “a matter of survival” for a community that represents about two-thirds of Nevada's citizens and most of its economy.

Federal officials say the cuts are necessary because the seven states on the river have not agreed on a plan. They say that without an agreement, dams used to generate hydropower could cease to function.

Experts cited in the supplied information say Arizona, which faces the deepest cuts, is expected to bring its own challenge.