A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
For a century, the Colorado River has been managed in pieces. Legally and politically, it’s divided into two basins, with each state and community focused on securing its respective water supply. But that is not how a river functions. The Colorado River is an interconnected system, sustained by Rocky Mountain snowpack, rainfall and groundwater. It is fragile, and under increasing stress. Two and a half decades into this century, the river that built the modern West has 20% less water flowing through it than it did on average in the last century. As heat and drought intensify, so do the stakes.
Other Colorado River planning news:
- ABC13/KTNV (Las Vegas): Nevada negotiators seek fair Colorado River operations, present new proposal
- Payson Roundup (Ariz.): Arizona delegation unites against plan that could cut state’s Colorado River water
- Lake Powell Chronicle (Miami, Ariz.): A reservoir at the crossroads: the looming low-water crisis of 2026
- KTAR (Phoenix): City of Chandler secures $1 million to construct new drinking well
- Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, Calif.): Mexicali farmers accuse water authorities of diverting $4.5 million in compensation funds
