Biden admin seeks deal on Colorado River involving 7 Western states

[Craig Nigrelli]

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS HOPING TO BROKER A DEAL INVOLVING SEVEN STATES IN THE WEST, WHEN IT COMES TO THE COLORADO RIVER, BEFORE DONALD TRUMP TAKES OFFICE IN LATE JANUARY.
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOW PROPOSED NEARLY A HALF-DOZEN PLANS FOR
USAGE, THAT WOULD PROTECT WATER LEVELS.
SEVEN STATES SURROUND THE RIVER AND DEPEND ON IT AS A WATER SOURCE. THEY ARE NEW MEXICO, COLORADO, UTAH, WYOMING, ARIZONA, NEVADA AND CALIFORNIA.
THE RIVER IS THE LARGEST WATER SOURCE IN THE WEST AND PROVIDES WATER, HYDROPOWER AND HABITAT TO ROUGHLY 40 MILLION PEOPLE, AS WELL AS TRIBAL NATIONS AND A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIES.
THE BATTLE OVER WATER RIGHTS HAS GONE ON FOR DECADES AS DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND RISING TEMPERATURES HAVE RESULTED IN LOWER WATER LEVELS. RESEARCHERS AT UCLA HAVE DETERMINED 10 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER HAVE GONE OUT OF THE RIVER BASIN, BETWEEN 2000 AND 2021.
THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR IS NOW WORKING TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO PROTECT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE COLORADO RIVER, TO BE IN PLACE BY LATE 2026, WHEN THE CURRENT PLAN EXPIRES.
WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISOR ALI ZAIDI SAID, “THOSE EFFORTS HELPED STABILIZE THE COLORADO RIVER FOR THE SHORT-TERM BUT NOW WE OWE IT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS TO FIND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS THAT ENSURE THE RIVER’S CONTINUED STABILITY. “
FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL REVIEW THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSALS. MEANTIME, A TOP WATER OFFICIAL FROM ARIZONA SAID THE STATES WILL TRY TO MAKE AS MUCH PROGRESS AS THEY CAN IN THE DAYS THAT REMAIN IN THIS ADMINISTRATION.