Uncertainty Remains After Colorado River Meeting in DC
Hoover Dam
As rules for dealing with water shortages in the Colorado River and consequent allocations to water users are set to expire at the end of this year, the governors of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, and a representative from California, met last Friday to negotiate a plan. The meeting, hosted by US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, comes after months of negotiations among the Colorado River Basin states failed to result in an agreement. While designated representatives of each state had participated in previous negotiations, Friday’s meeting was the first time the governors had met directly to address the issue. Uncertainty remains over the river’s fate as no agreement was reached during this meeting and major differences remain. Despite the lack of agreement, Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona expressed her belief that the meeting moved negotiations a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Reclamation is developing their own post-2026 management plan, which would take effect if the states are unable to reach an agreement. It is generally believed that a federally imposed management plan is likely to result in legal challenges, as has occurred in the past over Colorado River allocations.