While they don’t appear to see eye to eye on anything, Colorado River officials do agree on this much: The courtroom is the last place that technical decisions should be made about how to share a drying river that serves 40 million people. Two states, however, are publicly anticipating they will need to defend their interests in what would be a high-profile, taxpayer-funded court battle. … At a committee hearing Tuesday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the state has invested in hiring more staff water law attorneys and said his office is preparing for a fight he increasingly sees as inevitable. … The other state prepping for an impending lawsuit out in the open is Arizona.

Other Colorado River news:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.): Colorado River states try for deal before meeting with Trump officials
• Wyoming Public Radio (Cheyenne): Wyoming considers voluntary program to conserve Colorado River water
• ABC15 (Phoenix): CAP’s general manager says Arizona water cuts could be ‘devastating’​
• Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Mesa finishing $210M water supply project. What it means
• Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.): Editorial: A trickle of water sense from California