… The seven basin states only have until February 14 to come up with a plan for how to manage the river in dry times. The current guidelines expire at the end of the year. If they test their luck and fail to reach an agreement, they risk the Interior Department making a plan for them or years of litigation. The seven state negotiators are meeting for four days in Salt Lake City this week as they work to hash out a deal before that deadline. … The bureau released a draft environmental impact statement on Friday that lays out a series of pathways to manage the river system and its major reservoirs. If the states reach a deal, the bureau says it will insert that plan as the preferred way forward. … If states can’t agree, the federal government will choose an alternative itself.

Other Colorado River news:

• KJZZ (Phoenix): Colorado River states need a ‘federal threat’ to make a water deal, this expert argues
• KKCO (Grand Junction, Colo.): Colorado River project gets $412K state funding
• KYMA (Yuma, Ariz.): New innovations to help save the Colorado River
• The Desert Review (Brawley, Calif.): BOR publishes report on post 2026 Colorado River solution alternatives