As conservation talks start, tensions rise. Who must give up Colorado River water?

 T/he seven states that share the Colorado River’s water celebrated some conservation wins at their annual meeting here this week but quickly began sparring over who will bear the brunt of future pain that they agree a drying climate will dole out.

Talk of cutbacks has long focused on the three states collectively known as the Lower Basin — Arizona, California and Nevada — and on Wednesday, representatives of California water districts and tribes signed federally funded deals to leave more water in the river’s largest reservoir over the next two years.

On Thursday, interstate rivalries re-emerged as officials from the Upper Basin made clear they expect the Lower Basin to cut back much further before coming after their water. Farmers and other users in the headwaters states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico already go without in dry years because they don’t have a giant storage pool like the Southwest’s Lake Mead to augment nature.

The states dodged disaster this year after a wet winter, unlike most in this century, raised water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, leaving each about one-third full. Arizona, California and Nevada still need a consensus plan that will pay users to forego some of their water, but they will likely have to give more when new shortage-sharing rules are negotiated to govern the river beginning in 2026...more

From the Water Education Foundation

Related articles: 

• Newsweek: Colorado River crisis fueled by ignored 1916 study, says hydrologist
• Colorado Sun: Expect a messy compromise on the future of the Colorado River, negotiators say in Las Vegas 
• Salt Lake Tribune: California’s Colorado River water cuts will last a few years. Then what?
• Fox 13 – Salt Lake City: Colorado River water conservation deal inked, but fight looms in the future
• University of Colorado: How an overlooked study over a century ago helped fuel the Colorado River crisis