Why California is so far apart from other states in Colorado River water cuts plan

 The ongoing dispute over Colorado River water comes down largely to math: How much water should each state and region lose as reservoir levels continue to decline?

California has one interpretation of how to divvy up the cuts, and six other states that depend on the river have a different formula.

A breakdown of the numbers in these two competing proposals shows the points of tension.

The proposal by six of the seven states in the Colorado River Basin would require California to shoulder a substantial part of the burden, despite its relatively higher-priority water rights. Southern California water agencies would be required to cut as much as 32% of their full water allocation if Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, continues dropping toward dangerously low levels.

California’s proposal, in contrast, would hit Arizona harder as reservoir levels decline...more