New Report Reveals Alarming Reason Why the Western US Is Running Out of Water: ‘It Is a Stupid System’

Much of the discourse on how to handle the Colorado River’s viability as the West’s biggest water source is focused on water conservation measures. In reality, those sorts of interventions might be missing the forest for the trees.

Vox’s Kenny Torrella reported on the Colorado River Compact’s struggles to reach a deal for the next two decades. The seven states in the compact — California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming — missed a Feb. 14 deadline to seal a new agreement amid a snow drought that is adding even more tension.