Wednesday December 4, 2024
Las Vegas Sun —
When the Bureau of Reclamation gives stakeholders and states in the Colorado River Basin something to respond to, it pushes conversation in a more tangible and meaningful way, said Taylor Hawes, the Colorado River program director at the Nature Conservancy.
One of the focuses of the Colorado River Water Users Association conference starting today at Paris Las Vegas will be discussing paths forward on Colorado River use and management between the seven Upper and Lower Basin states, tribes and Mexico.
Legal agreements appropriating the drought-stricken river will expire in 2026, bringing urgency to talks on what’s next and how to manage the effects of climate change.
There’s plenty to respond to following the Bureau of Reclamation on Nov. 21 releasing four alternatives to divide water from the river. They are:
• The first option proposes protection of infrastructure, like dams, within the Department of the Interior, and the bureau’s authority and how much water is allocated, relying on existing agreements from when demand exceeds supply but “there would be no new delivery and storage mechanisms,” a Bureau of Reclamation announcement said.