Tuesday Top of the Scroll: States miss deadline for agreement on Colorado River water
The seven states that depend on the Colorado River have missed a Jan. 31 federal deadline for reaching a regionwide consensus on how to sharply reduce water use, raising the likelihood of more friction as the West grapples with how to take less supplies from the shrinking river. In a bid to sway the process after contentious negotiations reached an impasse, six of the seven states gave the federal government a last-minute proposal outlining possible water cuts to help prevent reservoirs from falling to dangerously low levels, presenting a unified front while leaving out California, which uses the single largest share of the river. The six states — Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — called their proposal a “consensus-based modeling alternative” that could serve as a framework for negotiating a solution.
Related articles:
- New York Times: How Colorado River cuts could affect California
- Colorado Sun: Six western states agreed on a plan to dramatically cut their Colorado River use. California is the lone holdout.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal: Most Colorado River states agree on water cuts
- Ark Valley Voice: Bennet Addresses Colorado Water Congress Amid Critical Colorado River Negotiations
- The Hill: Why California, other western states face growing pressure to reduce water consumption
- KUNC – Greeley, Colo: Federal pressure mounts as states attempt to break Colorado River standoff
- CNN: A showdown over Colorado River water is setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle
- Bloomberg: Opinion: The Colorado River Needs the Feds to Step In ASAP
- Jfleck@Inkstain: Deadpool Diaries - Trapped, again, in a world we never made
- Steamboat Pilot: State officials approve 2023 Colorado Water Plan
- Roll Call: Colorado River states still fractured over water cuts