‘We can do better’ – Western states divided over long-term plans for Colorado River water
With climate change compounding the strains on the Colorado River, seven Western states are starting to consider long-term plans for reducing water use to prevent the river’s reservoirs from reaching critically low levels in the years to come. But negotiations among representatives of the states have so far failed to resolve disagreements. And now, two groups of states are proposing competing plans for addressing the river’s chronic gap between supply and demand. In one camp, the three states in the river’s lower basin — California, Arizona and Nevada — say their approach would share the largest-ever water reductions throughout the Colorado River Basin to ensure long-term sustainability.
Related articles:
- Colorado River Authority of Utah: Upper Division States submit their alternative for Post-2026 Operations
- USA Today: Lake Mead’s water levels rose again in February, highest in 3 years. Will it last?
- Arizona Republic – Commentary: No matter how the war over the Colorado River plays out, Arizona will feel pain
- Aspen Journalism: Colorado River’s Upper Basin states say ‘no way’ to cuts proposed by Lower Basin states
- Western Water Notes: On the Colorado River, it’s climate change
- Audubon – Blog: Will the Colorado River states agree?