For Mike Vickrey, a rancher in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Valley, this summer delivered another harsh lesson about the unpredictability of water in the arid West. Despite what appeared to be a promising winter snowpack, Vickrey had to shut off irrigation to his hay meadows about 10 days earlier than normal. … Vickrey wonders if early water cutoffs are here to stay as all the states in the Colorado River Basin continue to negotiate how to manage Lake Mead and Lake Powell downstream as less and less water flows through a watershed stretching from the Wind River Mountains to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. … Lately, hay production has fluctuated from around 2,500 tons in good years down to 1,600 tons or less in bad years. That’s one reason Vickrey is encouraging others to join him at an upcoming public meeting in Pinedale, which is one of four outreach meetings Wyoming officials are hosting next week to discuss the state’s role in managing Colorado River water. 

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nev.): Lake Mead levels could drop below historic lows by mid-2027
• John Fleck at Inkstain: Blog: Return of the Deadpool Diaries: The Colorado River news keeps getting worse
• The New Lede: New research finds sky-high insecticide levels in Colorado water
• Complete Colorado: Opinion: Tax-funded Colorado River studies downplay mismanagement