Arizona
Top Arizona water official has backup plan if states can't work out deal to divide Colorado River water
By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — The state’s top water official is making contingency plans for a court fight if a deal can’t be worked out with other states for how to divide up Colorado River water in 2026 and beyond.
Tom Buschatzke wants Gov. Katie Hobbs and state lawmakers to give him $1 million in what he is calling a “set-aside appropriation” in case there is no agreement — at least not to the state’s satisfaction — in the ongoing negotiations over the river.
Ideally, he said, it won’t be necessary and the seven states, various tribes and federal agencies will work out a deal. But the director of the Department of Water Resources told Capitol Media Services that is far from a sure thing.
“We don’t want war, we want peace,” he said of himself and water officials from the other six states that share in river water. “We want a collaborative solution.”
That also means working it out among themselves versus having something imposed on them by then courts or Congress, a fiat that could result in orders to make nearly impossible reductions in Arizona’s access to the river.
And it’s not like conditions are likely to get better.
“We’re getting projections from climate change scientists that our future is more drier — and maybe even more drier than maybe over the last 20 or so years,” Buschatzke said.
The immediate problem is that the federal Bureau of Reclamation says that climate and other projections show that total available water in the system will need to be cut by up to another 4 million acre feet a year — above and beyond already imposed and voluntary reductions.
More to the point, the upper basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming don’t want to share in the burden. Instead, they want all of that reduction to come from the lower basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada which they say have drained the reservoirs and should be responsible for refilling them
“There is a significant possibility that this process could result in litigation between the states,” Buschatzke said. “In the event that there is litigation, the most likely venue for the proceedings would be federal court, the U.S. Supreme Court, or both.”
Hence, he said, the need for the money.
“If the collaborative and cooperative partnership does not bear fruit, Arizona may need to react/engage in legal action to protect its current 2.8 million acre feet of Colorado River entitlement,” Buschatzke said. “Litigation can be a very lengthy and expensive process.”
But the request for funds is more than about having $1 million set aside to hire lawyers should a court fight become necessary. Buschatzke also is seeking to send a message to the other states that Arizona will not be bullied.
“It is a significant commitment to demonstrate Arizona’s commitment to protecting its entitlement from the Colorado River,” he said.
All this comes as the current guidelines for operations of the river expire at the end of 2025. And the director of the Department of Water Resources said his agency is currently involved in negotiations with the seven “basin” states that all claim a share of the Colorado River as well as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
What Buschatzke wants is to maintain its current entitlement to 2.8 million acre feet a year. An acre foot is generally considered enough to supply three homes for a year. That, on paper, is Arizona’s share of the 15 million acre feet of river water.
States, however, haven’t taken their full allocation for years amid historically dry weather.
The lower basin states are entitled to 7.5 million acre feet. This past year they took less than 5.9 million acre feet.
And this year Arizona is taking only about 1.9 million acre feet of its 2.8 million allocation, agreeing to leave water in Lake Mead to ensure that does not dry up to a point where no water flows through the dam.
Now it’s about what happens next.
The Bureau of Reclamation is set to issue an Environmental Impact Statement in December. That should have the final numbers of what the agency expects to be available in Colorado River water for the foreseeable future.
A balanced approach, said Buschatzke, would be for half of that 4 million acre feet — or whatever the final number will be — allocated among the upper basin states, with the balance among the lower basin states. Put simply, it’s easier — and less painful — on any one state if all share.
And that’s particularly important for Arizona which has a “junior priority” over the available water.
But to this point, he said, the upper basin states want no part of it. In fact, Buschatzke said, the upper basin states want more water left in Lake Powell, something he said would have the ripple effect of making less water available for Lake Mead.
“We can’t come to a place where Lake Powell is three-quarters full and Lake Mead is essentially empty,” he said.
What’s also important, said Buschatzke, is coming up with more than a stop-gap plan that lasts just three or four years. He said any agreement should go out at least 20 years or more.
All this comes back to Buschatzke’s decision to request $1 million for the legal fight that may be on the horizon.
“I have a responsibility to do due diligence and be prepared for multiple potential outcomes,” he said.
“One of those potential outcomes could be a time at which the Central Arizona Project could be completely dry because of certain interpretations of what a junior priority might mean,” Buschatzke said. “And I think you could imagine that that would be quite an economic and political disaster for that outcome.”
A spokesman for Gov. Katie Hobbs said no decision has been made whether to include his request in what she submits to the Legislature in January.
And if its not funded this coming year?
“Arizona faces the possibility of being unprepared for legal action regarding its Colorado River entitlement in the event that the current collaborations and negotiations do not bear fruit,” he said.
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TUCSON, Ariz. — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas had 13 and No. 2 Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night.
The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.
Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.
“The Big 12 is the best basketball conference in the country,” Lloyd said while addressing the home crowd after the game, “and to win it by a couple of games, it’s pretty impressive. So take your hats off to these guys right here.”
Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the field, including 7-of-30 from 3-point range.
During his postgame news conference, Lloyd called out the narrative surrounding his team when discussing the Wildcats’ toughness and physicality.
“I think the narrative that we were soft is lazy. I mean, look at our stats, look at our analytics — we’ve always been a great rebounding team, we’ve always pounded the paint,” Lloyd said. “If you want to just be lazy and not pay attention and say we’re soft because we’re on the West Coast, be lazy, and I’d love to play against you.”
Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, Momcilovic went 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Neither team could make much of anything, due to good defense and poor shooting.
Iowa State shot 9-of-33 from the field and 4-of-20 from 3 in the first half.
Arizona labored most of the half as the Cyclones focused on defending the paint before the Wildcats closed on a 15-3 run to lead 37-25 at halftime.
It only got worse for Iowa State to start the second half. The Cyclones missed their first eight shots as Arizona stretched the lead to 16.
Iowa State briefly found an offensive rhythm, using a 10-1 run to pull to within 44-37, but didn’t hit a field goal for more than five minutes as Arizona stretched the lead back to 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PHOENIX — The Arizona NAACP is responding to the violent arrest of Israel Devoe, a Phoenix man who was acquitted of all charges stemming from a 2024 traffic stop in which officers punched, kneed, and elbowed him.
Sarah Tyree, president of the Arizona NAACP State Conference, said the case is part of a broader and familiar pattern.
“What happened here reflects a pattern our communities know all too well. Time and again, we see policing tactics that are dangerous and deeply harmful to civilians, yet are later justified as ‘within policy’ through carefully crafted reports and the broad protections afforded under Graham v. Connor,” Tyree wrote in an emailed statement following an ABC15 investigation.
RELATED: Phoenix man to file lawsuit after dangerous game of ‘Simon Says’ with police
Phoenix police officials found all four officers involved in Devoe’s arrest to have acted within policy, records show.
After a two-day trial, jurors unanimously found Devoe not guilty on all four of the felony charges against him — including aggravated assault on officers and resisting arrest.
In her statement, Tyree said true accountability is not possible without changing state law.
“Accountability remains out of reach in Arizona because the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights continues to insulate misconduct from meaningful oversight, too often shifting blame onto the very communities most impacted by these encounters,” she wrote. “We also encourage Arizona voters to engage their state legislators and advocate for the repeal or amendment of the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights to ensure systems of public safety are truly accountable to the public they serve.”
Devoe’s case again highlights problems with policing in Phoenix, which has been under scrutiny following a Department of Justice investigation that found the city had a pattern and practice of using excessive force, discrimination, and weak oversight.
ABC15 is committed to finding the answers you need and holding those accountable.
Submit your news tip to Investigators@abc15.com
The push for federal oversight ended in 2025 after the Trump administration ended such efforts across the country.
Devoe’s civil attorney, Jesse Showalter, also represents Tyron McAlpin, a deaf Black man with cerebral palsy who was violently arrested by Phoenix officers in July 2024. Showalter has said both cases reflect what he described as an accepted norm of extreme violence within the Phoenix Police Department.
A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department declines to comment because Devoe is set to file a lawsuit against the city.
This digital article was produced with the assistance of AI and converted to this platform based on the broadcast story written and reported by ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing (Dave@abc15.com). Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers
6-4-2
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
01-07-11-18-28
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
12-17-23-31-37-42
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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