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Still No Agreement Between Western States, Including CA, on How to Reduce Colorado River Water Use

/in , , /by /ABC 7 by Rob McMillan

With the Colorado River in crisis, there is still no agreement over which states and regions should have their water allocations cut back and how soon those cuts should go into effect.

Seven states in the western United States take water from the Colorado River, and although six of them have agreed on a framework, the lone holdout is the largest user of Colorado River water in the county: California.

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River District Head: California Water Cut Far From What is Needed From That State

/in , , /by /The Daily Sentinel by Dennis Webb

The general manager of the West Slope’s Colorado River District says proposed cuts by California entities in river water use are much less than is needed from that state, and their implication that other states need to step up with similar reductions fails to account for uncompensated, naturally occurring cuts that already impact users in the river’s Upper Basin.

Andy Mueller made his comments in a memo to his district’s board of directors and during the board’s meeting this week.

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Gila River Tribe Will Take Offer to Conserve Water, but Yuma Farmers Say it’s Not Enough

/in , , /by /Arizona Republicby Brandon Loomis

The Gila River Indian Community is the first Arizona water rights holder to publicly pursue the federal government’s new offer of compensation to leave Colorado River water in Lake Mead.

Tribal Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis announced the plan on Monday at a gathering of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s water advisory council, which is reviewing ways to spend $4 billion of Inflation Reduction Act funds targeted at Colorado River drought relief, as well as funds approved in an infrastructure funding law.

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Upper Basin Officials See California Proposal to Conserve Colorado River Water as a Positive Sign — Even if it’s Not Enough

/in , , /by /The Colorado Sunby Chris Outcalt

California water agencies that use Colorado River water indicated Wednesday they’d be willing to cut 400,000 acre-feet of water use annually starting next year and running through 2025 — a move a top Upper Basin water official cast as a promising development in the negotiations over the future of the river.

“All in all, it appears to be an encouraging first step,” said Chuck Cullom, executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, an interstate agency that manages water in the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico.

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The Colorado River Water Shortage is Forcing Tough Choices in 7 States

/in , , /by /KALWby Dave Davies

This summer, officials of the U.S. Interior Department gave seven states in the American West an ultimatum – either come up with a voluntary agreement to curtail their use of water from the Colorado River, or the federal government will impose mandatory restrictions. Lake Mead, the reservoir created by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado, is now at just 25% of its capacity.

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A Warmer, Drier West: A Detailed History and Possible Future of Water Use in the West

/in , , /by /KCETby Kim Stringfellow

On October 13, 1893, Major John Wesley Powell, celebrated explorer, geologist and Civil War veteran, addressed delegates of the Second Irrigation Congress in Los Angeles, declaring to the capitalists, politicians and boosters attending (and whose main agenda was to develop the arid West), “What matters it whether I am popular or unpopular? I tell you, gentlemen, you are piling up a heritage of conflict and litigation over water rights, for there is not sufficient water to supply these lands.” Powell’s blunt prophetic statement did not win support. The delegates booed him off the stage.

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‘It’s Hard to Be Optimistic.’ Here’s What Merced-Area Growers Face After a Dry Winter

/in , , /by /Merced Sun-Starby Abbie Lauten-scrivner

With surface water allocations down and costs up, Merced County’s new irrigation season is reflecting the impacts of statewide drought. Merced County isn’t alone. The nearby Fresno Irrigation District (FID) announced Tuesday that the ongoing parched weather, including a record-dry January and February, led the Board of Directors to postpone its planned start of water deliveries.

 

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As Climate Talks Put Focus on Water Crisis, the Colorado River Provides a Stark Example

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James and Jaweed Kaleem

As world leaders meet in Scotland this week to discuss efforts to address the climate crisis, experts are urging greater focus on adapting to fundamental shifts in the planet’s water supplies — and they’re pointing to the Colorado River as a prime example.

The river, a vital water source for about 40 million people from Denver to Los Angeles, has continued to shrink and send reservoirs declining toward critically low levels after years of extremely dry conditions compounded by hotter temperatures.

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Opinion: Reopening California’s Economy Needs a Path Forward; Here are 5 Precise Steps How

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Andreas Borgeas

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been devastating, and California must continue to act decisively to help mitigate the damage.

As a California state senator representing the 8th Senate District, I have learned heartbreaking stories from employees and business owners who are seeing their dreams and investments dismantled. If lucky enough to have employment, many working parents are forced to juggle work with the new demands of homeschooling, often while vulnerable elderly fend for themselves in solitude.  As a father of two school-aged children with elderly parents this hits close to home.

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Trump’s Signature Could Mean More Water for Valley

/in , /by /GV Wire (Fresno, Calif.)by David Taub

More water will flow toward San Joaquin Valley farmers, President Donald Trump declared at an event in Bakersfield on Wednesday afternoon.

Trump announced the completion of biological opinions that will increase water allocations in Californians.

“A major obstacle to providing more water for the region’s farmers has now been totally eliminated by the government,” Trump said.

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