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Western Governors Hold Historic Meeting in Washington, D.C. Over Management of Colorado River

A historic meeting took place at the nation’s capital on Friday as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined governors from across the Colorado River Basin.

He joined the governors of Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Nevada and Arizona in talks centered on how to reach an agreement that protects the Colorado River. Polis said the discussion focused on next steps, timelines and a commitment from all of the states involved to avoid litigation.

California’s Largest New Reservoir in Decades Secures Federal Approval

The U.S. Department of the Interior approved a major California water project on Friday, clearing a key obstacle for a massive new reservoir.

The proposed 1.5 million acre-foot Sites Reservoir would store water from the Sacramento River and distribute it during droughts to several parts of California, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, Southern California and the Bay Area. Stretching about 4 miles across and 13 miles north to south, it’s meant to provide water to approximately 24 million people, and it would mark California’s first major reservoir project since 1979, when New Melones Lake was completed.

Trump Is Winning His Water Tug-Of-War With Newsom

President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are so in sync on California water that they’re in a race to capture as much of it as possible — even at each other’s expense.

Trump and Newsom’s relative alignment on water issues has been good news all around for farmers and cities that draw from both sides of the state’s main water hub: the federally run Central Valley Project, and the aptly named State Water Project, which is state-run.

Heated Debate Over California Water Plan as Environmentalists Warn of ‘Ecosystem Collapse’

The question of how to protect fish and the ecological health of rivers that feed California’s largest estuary is generating heated debate in a series of hearings in Sacramento, as state officials try to gain support for a plan that has been years in the making.

“I am passionate that this is the pathway to recover fish,” said state Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “This is the paradigm we need: collaborative, adaptive management versus conflict and litigation.”

Editorial: A Trickle of Water Sense From California

California has hundreds of miles of coastline, yet melted snow from other states remains an important source of its water. Perhaps a needed change is on the horizon — one that would even help Nevada.

Interstate negotiations over the Colorado River appear deadlocked. The three Lower Basin states, including Nevada, remain at odds with their four Upper Basin counterparts. There is significant disagreement over what to do when the river doesn’t deliver enough water. Unfortunately, that has been the reality for many years, as the river was overallocated from the beginning. Lake Mead is forecast to drop even further in the coming months.

Rain, Not Snow: Extraordinary Warmth Leaves Mountains Less Snowy Across the West

At UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, located at 6,894 feet above sea level near Donner Pass, researchers collect detailed measurements of the snowpack each day.

There is still some snow on the ground to measure, but less than they usually see in late January.

Trump Administration Approves Plan Backed by Newsom to Build Largest California Reservoir in 50 Years

The Trump administration on Friday gave its approval for plans to build Sites Reservoir, a vast 13-mile-long off-stream lake north of Sacramento that would provide water to 500,000 acres of Central Valley farmland and 24 million people, including residents of Santa Clara County, parts of the East Bay and Los Angeles.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a document called a “record of decision” for the proposed project, signing off on its environmental review process.

Colorado River States Scramble for Deal Ahead of Meeting With Trump Officials

With frustrating meetings on a near-daily basis, the seven states that share the Colorado River are scrambling to deliver any semblance of an agreement as they gear up for a high-profile discussion with the Trump administration next week.

About 40 million people — and economically vital farms — in the American West rely on the river for their water supply in some of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas like Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver.

Officials Stunned After Sudden Turnaround of Crucial U.S. Water Supply: ‘We’re Not Back to Normal’

Washington’s Yakima River basin has been thirsty for rain, but it’s finally getting a drink.

Drought conditions have not let up in the region for three years. But in the first full week of last December, its mountain reservoirs racked up a combined 36 inches of rain.

Californians Have Been Using Far Less Water Than Suppliers Estimated — What Does This Mean for the State?

Water use in California was lower than officials estimated it would be between 2000 and 2020, according to a new report.

The findings raise questions about the accuracy of long-term water-demand projections, which could have knock-on effects on costs borne by consumers, but overall the news that water demand is lower than projected is positive for the state and its regular battles against drought, experts told Live Science.