Colorado River stakeholders seek greater involvement in shaping future guidelines.

Leaders of tribes in the Colorado River Basin are pushing for more involvement in high-level discussions among the seven states that rely on the river as the federal government starts negotiations on long-term plans for the overtapped Colorado River. The 30 tribes in the basin have rights to use roughly one-fourth of the river’s average supply, but have been largely excluded from regional talks about river management. The tribes are demanding inclusion as the Biden administration begins the process of developing new rules for dealing with shortages after 2026, when the current rules are set to expire.