The Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study (Study), initiated in January
2010, was conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Upper Colorado and
Lower Colorado regions, and agencies representing the seven Colorado River Basin States.
As defined in the Plan of Study, the purpose of the Study is to define current and
future imbalances in water supply and demand in the Basin and the adjacent areas of the
Basin States that receive Colorado River water over the next 50 years (through 2060), and to
develop and analyze adaptation and mitigation strategies to resolve those imbalances. The
Study does not result in a decision as to how future imbalances will or should be addressed.
Rather, the Study provides a common technical foundation that frames the range of potential
imbalances that may be faced in the future and the range of solutions that may be considered
to resolve those imbalances.