Colorado River states deadlocked on water deal as deadline gets pushed back

"The seven states that rely on the Colorado River to supply farms and cities across the U.S. West appear no closer to reaching a consensus on a long-term plan for sharing the dwindling resource. The river's future was the center of discussions this week at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas, where water leaders from California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming gathered alongside federal and tribal officials."

"Nevada's lead negotiator said it is unlikely the states will reach an agreement that quickly. "As we sit here mid-December with a looming February deadline, I don't see any clear path to a long-term deal, but I do see a path to the possibility of a shorter-term deal to keep us out of court," John Entsminger of the Southern Nevada Water Authority told The Associated Press."

"More than 40 million people across seven states, Mexico, and Native American tribes depend on the water from the river. Farmers in California and Arizona use it to grow the nation's winter vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and carrots. It provides water and electricity to millions of homes and businesses across the basin. But longstanding drought, chronic overuse, and increasing temperatures have forced a reckoning on the river's future."

Seven western states that depend on the Colorado River remain without a consensus on a long-term water-sharing plan. Water leaders from California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming gathered in Las Vegas at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference. States missed a November deadline for a post-2026 plan; the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation set a new Feb. 14 deadline. Nevada's lead negotiator, John Entsminger, said a long-term deal is unlikely before that date but a shorter-term agreement could avert litigation. More than 40 million people, Mexico, and Native American tribes depend on the river. Farmers rely on the river for winter vegetables. Longstanding drought, chronic overuse, and rising temperatures threaten supplies, and existing conservation agreements expire in 2026.

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