Trump administration nominates official to oversee Colorado River negotiations

Alan Halaly, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jun 17, 2025

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As Nevada and its neighbors argue while a deadline looms, the Trump administration has chosen the official who will oversee contentious Colorado River negotiations if approved by the U.S. Senate.

Ted Cooke, who managed the Central Arizona Project from 2015 to 2023, would be the leader of the federal agency that manages both water and dams in the West, according to a nomination list on the Senate’s website. The Central Arizona Project is a 336-mile pipeline system that brings Colorado River water to Arizona’s dense urban centers.

He would replace Las Vegas native Camille Calimlim Touton, Biden’s appointee to the position who leveraged historic federal funding to broker conservation agreements across the Colorado River Basin with farmers, tribes and more.

Nevada, California and Arizona — the Lower Basin states — continue to disagree with the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming on a path forward before Colorado River guidelines expire at the end of 2026.

The Bureau of Reclamation, which didn’t respond to requests for comment on Tuesday, has the final say on the outcome of these interstate negotiations if the states cannot reach a consensus.

His nomination was referred to the Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, according to Congress’ website.

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