Arizona lawmakers are tripling the size of the state’s legal fund for potential lawsuits about sharing water from the Colorado River. The new state budget will add $6 million to the pool of money, which was first set up in 2025, bringing the fund to a total of $9 million. … Negotiators from the seven states are under pressure to agree on a new set of rules for sharing water after the current ones expire later this year. They have been unable to forge a deal, meaning that the federal government will likely force a water management plan on the states. If that happens, states are likely to sue one other or the federal government, sending the Colorado River’s future to a messy legal battle that would likely end up in the Supreme Court.

Other Colorado River management news:

• The New York Times: Tensions are rising between states that rely on the Colorado River
• Cowboy State Daily (Cheyenne, Wyo.): Six-shooters and cellphones: Divers find all kinds of treasure in Colorado River
• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): Arizona could get water from San Diego within 6 months
• The Washington Post: Editorial: San Diego’s big bet on salt water