Western Slope water providers concerned as river depth drops below 3 feet in some areas
The Colorado River is flowing at record-low depths, raising concerns for water providers and consumers across the Western Slope. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Colorado River below the Grand Valley Diversion near Palisade reached a maximum depth of 9.91 feet in June 2024. … Mesa County is in an exceptional drought, according to the Drought Response Information Project (DRIP). … Ty Jones, district manager of Clifton Water District, said the river is flowing at less than a fourth of what it was in 2025. “We’re seeing things never seen before, in all the records that we’ve kept in the last 100 plus years,” Jones said. “I mean, we’ve not seen that here in the valley.”
Other Colorado River management news:
- The Salt Lake Tribune: Could a mediator help states reach a Colorado River deal? Here’s what Utah’s expert on environmental conflict thinks.
- KTAR (Phoenix): City of Phoenix braces for Colorado River cuts, plans to tap reserves
- Navajo-Hopi Observer: Opinion: The unspoken trade
- Inkstain: Blog: The utility of operationally neutral and flexible conservation pools in the Colorado River Basin
- Coyote Gulch: Blog: Mexican farmers are unhappy with mandated cuts to Colorado River water
- Realtor.com: Blog: New Colorado River water saving plan could have a big impact on these housing markets
