Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
Federal officials said Wednesday that conditions have improved on the Colorado River to the point that a plan by California, Arizona and Nevada to voluntarily reduce water use should help keep the river basin on stable footing for the next few years.
Western states won’t lose as much Colorado River water in 2024
Federal officials said Tuesday they will ease water cuts for Western states reliant on the Colorado River next year thanks to a slightly improved outlook, but long-term challenges remain.
Interior Department official with key role in Colorado River talks is stepping down
A senior Interior Department official who has had a key role in negotiations over the shrinking Colorado River plans to step down from the job next week.
Feds announce start of public process to reshape key rules on Colorado River water use by 2027
A public process started Thursday to reshape the way Colorado River water is distributed, with federal officials promising to collect comments about updating and enacting rules in 2027 to continue providing hydropower, drinking water and irrigation to farms, cities and tribes in seven Western U.S. states and Mexico.
Vegas water agency empowered to limit home water flows in future
Nevada has taken a dramatic, but not immediate, step toward limiting the amount of Colorado River water used in the most populous part of the nation's most arid state, after lawmakers gave Las Vegas-area water managers the levers to limit flows to single-family homes.
Arizona gets hit hardest in Colorado River plan
More than half of the 3 million acre-feet in water cuts announced as part of a multi-state conservation deal will come from Arizona, state officials said on May 25.
Arizona, California, Nevada reach agreement on Colorado River water conservation
Arizona, California and Nevada reached an agreement to cut their use of Colorado River water in exchange for massive federal payments.
How one Yuma farmer sees Arizona’s water future
The agricultural industry in Arizona is reliant on water flowing from the Colorado River. And as the Biden administration and federal agencies rush to remedy a looming water crisis in the Southwest, farmers in the state are concerned that directives from authorities could have an outsized effect on an integral part of the economy.
As states continue to bicker, feds say Colorado River cuts are coming
Cuts to water use along the Colorado River could be spread evenly across some Southwestern states or follow the more than century-old priority system that currently governs water management.
Drought in Western US heats up as a Senate campaign issue
In a midterm campaign season dominated by inflation, abortion and crime, there's another issue that is becoming more urgent in Western states: drought.
First water cuts in US West supply to hammer Arizona farmers
Climate change, drought and high demand are expected to force the first-ever mandatory cuts to a water supply that 40 million people across the American West depend on — the Colorado River.
Officials: Less chance of Colorado River water cuts in 2017
Wet weather in May and June prompted optimistic projections Monday from federal water managers keeping close tabs on the Colorado River water supply for about 40 million residents in seven Southwest U.S. states.