Gov. Hobbs on Colorado River negotiations: Agreement is not likely by Feb. 14 deadline

PHOENIX — Despite previously expressing confidence in an agreement on Colorado River use being achieved, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said meeting the Feb. 14 deadline isn’t likely.

Hobbs and the other basin state governors met in Washington D.C. on Friday regarding the agreement. 

“We were clearly at an impasse. I feel like we’re at a place where we can start to move past that now,” Hobbs said Monday from the nation’s capital. “I think we’ll be on a path to get to a deal, not a deal by Feb. 14, but on Feb. 14 be on a path to get to a deal.”

Hobbs attributed the slow progress to “firm commitments” on what are “voluntary cuts and mandatory cuts.” In the case of Arizona, Hobbs said she has been clear that the state won’t go past the 27% mark in river water cuts.

The governor said Friday on X that she was “encouraged” by the willingness of upper basin leaders — those that hail from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — to “turn water conservation programs into firm commitments of water savings.”

Today, I had a productive and meaningful conversation with Colorado River governors, their representatives and @SecretaryBurgum. Together, we reaffirmed our joint commitment to protecting the river that serves as a critical lifeline to all of our states.

I was encouraged to hear…

— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) January 30, 2026

The meeting also marked the first time during the negotiation process that all of the basin state governors were in the same room.

“Without the federal government exerting some pressure, some influence to get to a deal, we are going to continue to be at an impasse,” Hobbs said. “I think (leaders in the U.S. Department of the Interior) heard more clearly from us all in this because they’ve talked to us individually but now all in the same room about what we all need to get a deal.”

Hobbs reassures Arizona will get its ‘fair share’ in Colorado River agreement

Hobbs said Arizonans need not worry about dramatic impacts to river access, as her work for the state’s “fair share” is in the interest of the Trump administration with Arizona’s role in the semiconductor industry.

“We’ll continue to push to make sure that we get our fair share and that these folks who are making big investments in Arizona, that those investments are paying off for them,” Hobbs said.

She emphasized that no party wants litigation to be the ultimate decider.

“While we didn’t leave (this meeting) with a lot of specifics, the details are to be worked out in negotiation,” Hobbs said. “Certainly for me as the governor with the most skin in the game or most water on the table, I felt more heard by the upper basin (states) than we’ve seen in the negotiations so far.”

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