New information is emerging about what's being negotiated between the seven states who rely on the Colorado River: an "amicable divorce" between the Upper and Lower Basins.
At a meeting of a council made up of farmers, ranchers, and other Colorado River water users, the head of the Colorado River Authority of Utah disclosed some of what was being negotiated.
"We have not agreed to anything yet," Colorado River Authority of Utah Executive Director Amy Haas cautioned. "This, however, seems to be the one option that has the most traction in terms of getting a seven state proposal."
The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people across the western United States and a portion of Mexico.
The agreements that govern the river expire in 2026 and negotiations have been intense as everyone deals with population demands and less water in the river.
Last year, private bickering spilled out into public and the states stopped talking. If no deal is reached, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could make decisions that no side may like or it could end in years of litigation with the courts deciding.
Read the rest of the story at fox13now.com.
This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Colorado River at greatsaltlakenews.org/coloradoriver.
