‘We Stand on the Brink of System Failure’: Feds up Pressure for States to Reach Deal on the Future of the Colorado River

Lake Mead water projections raise red flags

(Photo courtesy Kyle Roerink)Water in Lake Mead is on course to fall to the lowest level in recorded history by 2027, according to a recent forecast by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Water levels in the reservoir have steadily dropped over the years as the Colorado River – the lake’s biggest source of water – has been choked by rising temperatures, prolonged drought and growing demand. If reservoir storage continues on its current trajectory, L…

‘We stand on the brink of system failure’: Feds up pressure for states to reach deal on the future of the Colorado River

The Salt Lake Tribune reports seven states must agree on sharing Colorado River water by 2026 due to dwindling supplies and impending shortages.

Lake Mead faces worrying water levels for 2026, 2027

Lake Mead, capable of storing about 29 million acre-feet of water, supplies drinking water to tens of millions of people.

Foundation for shared Colorado River may be cracking to the megadrought (Opinion)

Failing to start planning now is irresponsible. It will increase the probability that insufficient water will flow through or around Glen Canyon Dam, resulting in endless lawsuits.

Colorado River Basin states inch forward in high-stakes negotiations as deadlines loom

Colorado River Basin states are almost, sort of, close to a small compromise in their negotiations that focuses on matching reservoir releases more closely to the river’s actual flow. Colorado water watchers seem to be rolling with it — so far.  Top negotiators in Colorado and six basin states offered a glimpse into the high-stakes talks for the first time in months during several water meetings this week. The states are negotiating how to manag…

Senate approves Colorado River Conservation Extension Act

DENVER (KDVR) — U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper's bipartisan Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act was passed in the Senate, aiming to extend the System Conservation Pilot Program that allows for water conservation projects to oversee drought conditions on the Colorado River. The bill was initially passed in the Senate in 2024, but was delayed in the House, leading to the reintroduction of the bill in 2025, since it needs to pass th…