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LOS ANGELES — A proposal to place authority for California water projects under a governor-controlled board is drawing criticism from the state’s largest water district because it could complicate efforts to meet a deadline to reduce consumption of Colorado River water. 

Failure to create the plan could affect millions of customers as early as next year. 

Under an agreement with six other Western states, California has until Dec. 31 to offer a plan outlining how it will cut its annual use of Colorado River water over the next 14 years. The Interior Department has threatened to cut off this extra water by the end of the year if the state misses the deadline. 

Frustrated at the pace of negotiations, state Sen. Jim Costa and Assemblyman Joseph Canciamilla say they are concerned that no one state agency is in charge of seeing that the plan goes forward. 

“I think unfortunately that each of the water districts have their own particular interests,” Canciamilla said. Phone calls to Costa were not immediately returned. 

Officials with the Metropolitan Water District, which serves 17 million Southern California customers, say the legislators’ proposal will only complicate the process and could cause the state to miss the deadline. 

Local districts are also concerned that the proposal goes far beyond the transfer of Colorado River water and would also affect their authority over other water projects, including ocean desalination proposals and efforts to store water under the Mojave Desert. 

“If we determine that we will either proceed or not proceed with a project, that decision could be ... possibly reversed, affecting local control and local investment,” said Metropolitan Water District spokesman Adan Ortega. 

Canciamilla said he proposed placing financial strings on other projects to get the districts’ attention. 

“I don’t think the local agencies have been serious about achieving an agreement,” he said. 

California has long used more than its share of Colorado River water — about 261 billion gallons a year more, enough for 1.6 million households.