The Colorado River states are still divided — so much so that they could not reach a broad agreement on how to manage the river by their federal deadline.
The Department of the Interior gave seven Western states, including Colorado, until Tuesday to indicate whether they can reach any level of accord on how the water supply for 40 million people should be managed in the future. The current agreement, which has governed how key reservoirs store and release water supplies since 2007, expires Dec. 31. Its rules remain in effect until fall of 2026.
For months, negotiators representing the states have been at loggerheads over what the new set of rules will look like.
In a joint statement Tuesday, the seven states and federal officials said they recognize the seriousness of the basin’s challenges as drought and low reservoirs have put pressure on the river’s water supplies.
“While more work needs to be done, collective progress has been made that warrants continued efforts to define and approve details for a finalized agreement,” the officials said in a statement released by the state of Arizona.
In June, the federal government asked states to pin down the broad strokes of an agreement by November. But the initial prepared statement did not address any key questions about a potential agreement — for example, which reservoirs will it manage? How long will the agreement last?
Becky Mitchell, Colorado River commissioner for the state of Colorado, speaks about water issues during a panel at the 2023 Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas on Dec. 14, 2023. (Shannon Mullane, The Colorado Sun)Nor did it resolve sticking points that have long stumped the negotiators.
The state and federal officials must decide how to plan for an uncertain water future in a changing climate with nearly empty reservoir savings banks.
They are weighing which cities, farms, industries and environments would be hit by cutbacks in dry years, and how that could impact the future of businesses, neighborhoods and long-held traditions.
They’re also thinking of the water needs of tribal nations and environmental impacts to the Colorado River ecosystems and landscapes like the Grand Canyon.
The statement from the states and federal agencies indicated the officials are still working toward a joint agreement.
“Through continued cooperation and coordinated action, there is a shared commitment to ensuring the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Colorado River system,” it said.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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