… Southwestern states for years have sought to find new sources of water in a drying region, and desalination, the process of removing salt from ocean water to make it potable, is one of the solutions they’re studying. Arizona advanced one such project on Sept. 16, which proposes to provide water for Mexico in exchange for part of the state’s share of Colorado River water. The proposed Northern Gulf of California Desalination Project calls for Arizona to build a plant in the Gulf of California to supply drinking water to residents in Baja California, Mexico. Arizona would then use some of Mexico’s supply of Colorado River water to augment its own. But the project faces the same challenge threatening water throughout the region — too little Colorado River water to go around.

Other Colorado River management news:

• San Diego Union-Tribune: Mexico breaks ground on new desalination plant in Rosarito to bolster region’s water supply
• KGNU (Boulder, Colo.): Colorado River 20-year drought guidelines will expire next week
• The Washington Post: Peaches put this town on the map. The Colorado River drought could wipe it all away.
• Daily Independent (Sun City, Ariz.): Cave Creek navigates Colorado River cuts with proactive water management strategy
• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): Opinion: What Colorado River cuts mean for Arizona water customers
• National Audubon Society: Blog: New Colorado River rules buy time. They don’t solve the crisis