Colorado River Water Users Convening Amid Crisis Concerns

By KEN RITTER Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Living with less water in the U.S. Southwest is the focus this week for a conference in Las Vegas about the drought-stricken and overpromised Colorado River.

This year's Colorado River Water Users Association meetings are addressing crisis concerns after more than two decades of record drought attributed to climate change.

As one top federal water manager said in a recent webinar: “The Colorado River system is in a very dire condition.”

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is collecting ideas about possible actions through Dec. 20.

That has officials from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming focusing this week on how to use at least 15% less water next year, or have restrictions imposed on them.