Colorado River: From Crisis to Conservation

Arizona, California, and Nevada have agreed to take less water from the drought-strained Colorado River, with the federal government paying about $1.2 billion to irrigation districts, cities, and Native American tribes in the three states if they temporarily use less water. The reductions would amount to about 13% of the total water use in the lower Colorado Basin, requiring significant water restrictions for residential and agriculture uses. The Colorado River supplies drinking water to 40 million Americans in seven states as well as part of Mexico and irrigates 5.5 million acres of farmland. The agreement runs only through the end of 2026, and all seven states that rely on the river could face a deeper reckoning as its decline is likely to continue.