The U.S. Department of Interior said Wednesday it extended more than a dozen contracts with water-rights holders in California and Arizona that aim to boost water funding and conservation efforts in the Colorado River system for its seven western states. Interior officials say it marked “major progress” with the Bureau of Reclamation in securing a continuation of 18 short-term agreements with tribal, municipal and agricultural water users in the lower Colorado River basin that will, they said, “result in additional water savings” through 2026 and, likewise, secure its short-term health as the region looks to its post-2026 water-use guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. … Scott Cameron, a senior adviser to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, said the Trump administration was focused on strengthening the Colorado River system’s drought response and “safeguarding the interests of western communities” for more than 40 million citizens and hydropower fuel resources in its seven states.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• Bureau of Reclamation: News release: Interior secures 18 short-term agreements to boost Colorado River conservation
• Arizona Daily Star (Tucson): Forecast for Colorado River runoff this spring-summer: bleak
• KUNC (Greeley, Colo.): A dry winter on the Colorado River has big reservoirs on track for trouble
• Circle of Blue: Blog: Dry Colorado River forecast gets drier
• Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Opinion: Arizona cities and tribes will soon have rights but no water
• The New York Times: Las Vegas got more than a third of its annual rainfall in just four days