The nonprofit Western Resource Advocates has issued a report on a proposed pipeline to Utah that could further deplete the receding Lake Powell. The group says there are better alternatives.

Lake Powell was built to capture Colorado River water, but it has reached historic lows because of drought.

At the same time, residents of Washington County, Utah, have come up with a plan: to pump some of Lake Powell’s water uphill, across 140 miles of high desert to the St. George region. The report says the county has other sources of water available and needs to embrace conservation. 

“The problem with this pipeline is it’s wanting to take water that isn’t there to people that don’t need it,” said John Cyran, a spokesman with Western Resource Advocates.

Arizona is already facing cuts due to declining water levels in Lake Powell.

Six states have threatened legal action if the pipeline becomes a reality.