Colorado River Basin

Some worry the proposal would put states in continual negotiations, which historically have been unproductive. However, it could be a step towards a longer-term plan.

The seven Western states have only five months until the current agreements expire. A warm winter with low snowpack has also made water supply forecasts more dire.

Widespread drought and fears of a power crisis forced the Interior Department to start sending billions of gallons of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Colorado downstream to prop up Lake Powell.

Just 1.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water is expected to reach Lake Powell through July. That's less than a quarter of what's considered normal.

Winter snow has been a no-show in Utah and much of the West this season. That lack of snowpack could increase the cost of growing hay, which in turn could raise prices for local dairy farmers.

Negotiators are approaching a Feb. 14 deadline to make an agreement on how to manage the dwindling waterway. Friday's meeting didn't complete that goal, but governors called the gathering productive.

Leaders from seven states are meeting in Washington on Friday ahead of a Feb. 14 deadline to reach an agreement. However, negotiators still disagree on how water cuts should be handled.

President Donald Trump froze billions of dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act that was designed to protect water supplies for cities, farms and tribes.

Funding from the Inflation Reduction Act was allocated to conserve water and protect habitat, but President Trump's executive order put that spending on pause.

Disagreement, bickering, and uncertainty defined 2024 for the Southwest's shrinking water supply.