Ted Cooke, the former nominee for commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, called the decision to scuttle his nomination “feckless.” President Donald Trump had nominated Cooke, the former director of the Central Arizona Project, in June to head the bureau. … Cooke was an integral part of the negotiations in the Colorado River’s 2019 Drought Contingency Plan, an agreement among all seven Colorado River basin states that aimed to protect water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. … Cooke’s nomination was greeted with applause from the Lower Basin states, and a certain amount of skepticism from the Upper Basin states.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• Ag Alert (California Farm Bureau): Negotiations stall as Colorado River crisis looms again
• The Sopris Sun (Carbondale, Colo.): Colorado River District adopts five-year strategic plan and prepares for Oct. 3 Annual Water Seminar
• ABC15 (Phoenix, Ariz.): New study shows soil moisture holds key to Arizona’s water future
• Western Farm Press: Opinion: Lower Basin states are leading the effort to stabilize the Colorado River