Dear Western Water readers,

The longstanding operating guidelines for the Colorado River expire this year, and after five years of grinding negotiations over a new agreement the Upper and Lower Basins remain deadlocked. That has set up a showdown over a legal time bomb that’s been ticking away at the heart of the Colorado River Compact since the river’s guiding document was signed more than 100 years ago — the risk of a Compact call by the Lower Basin to try to force delivery of their water apportionment by the Upper Basin. 

Two obvious paths now lie ahead: a short-term interim plan imposed by the Secretary of the Interior, or a courtroom fight that would likely go all the way to the Supreme Court. But for 20 years, a third possibility has stubbornly persisted in the background. Read more about why a group of seasoned river observers believe it could save the Colorado in our latest Western Water article, available online now.

Five Don’t-Miss Articles from California and Across the West

Trump’s pick for Reclamation takes the reins: POLITICO’s Annie Snider reports that Aubrey Bettencourt, a third-generation farmer from California’s San Joaquin Valley who most recently led the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, is now serving as acting commissioner of the federal Bureau of Reclamation. She is expected to be nominated to fill the position permanently, although the nomination has not yet been sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Colorado’s gamblers are paying for new irrigation systems, reservoirs and water research studies: Since sports betting became legal in Colorado six years ago, the state has collected more than $154 million in taxes, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board has channeled $140 million to water conservation projects throughout the state. As the Denver Post’s Noelle Phillips writes, that money could become even more critical as the state feels the squeeze of climate change.

In revitalizing the Colorado River Delta, a little goes a long way: A new study documents the results of a decade-long effort to return water to the beleaguered Colorado River Delta in Mexico. As Karl Flessa tells the University of Arizona’s Daniel Stolte, long-lost migratory bird habitat is rebounding, thanks to “a little bit of water, a small amount of funding and a lot of hard work.”

Trump administration ups ante in quest to thwart removal of PG&E’s Eel River dams: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum met last week at the White House with the CEO of PG&E and representatives from the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, in the latest chapter in the Trump administration’s quest to keep Northern California’s Potter Valley Project alive. The Press Democrat’s Austin Murphy reports on the meeting — and the local reaction.

There’s a tense relationship between water and housing in Arizona. Court rulings can complicate it: In an interview with KJZZ’s Mark Brodie, Rhett Larson, a professor of water law at Arizona State University, explains why a pair of recent court decisions could erode consumer confidence in the housing market and backfire on the homebuilding industry.

Western Water Word of the Day

The 1922 Colorado River Compact marked the first time in U.S. history that more than three states negotiated an agreement among themselves to apportion the waters of a stream or river. The compact is the cornerstone of the “Law of the River” – a complex set of interstate compacts, federal laws, court decisions and decrees, contracts and federal actions that regulate use of the Colorado River. But persistent drought and aridification have strained relations among the seven states that signed the compact. Learn more about the Colorado River Compact in Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia. 

At the Foundation

Save the date! The Water Summit, the Foundation’s premier event of the year with leading policymakers and experts addressing critical water issues in California and across the West, will be held Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Sawyer Hotel in downtown Sacramento. Now in its 42ⁿᵈ year, the Water Summit is an ideal event for water district managers and board members, state and federal agency officials, city and county government leaders, farmers, environmentalists, attorneys, consultants, engineers, business executives and public interest groups. Check out the Water Summit page to learn more.

Western Water Resource

Our Colorado River Basin Map depicts the seven Western states that share the Colorado River with Mexico. The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Mexico. The map features rivers, dams, water projects, major cities, Indian reservations, irrigated areas, basin boundaries, and national parks and monuments. Order your copy here.