DUCHESNE, Utah — New details are emerging of what's being negotiated between the seven states who rely on the Colorado River — an "amicable divorce" between the Upper and Lower Basins.
At a meeting of a council made up of farmers, ranchers and other Colorado River water users here, the head of the Colorado River Authority of Utah disclosed some of what was being negotiated.
"We have not agreed to anything yet," Colorado River Authority of Utah Executive Director Amy Haas cautioned. "This, however, seems to be the one option that has the most traction in terms of getting a seven state proposal."
Deep divisions on display at Colorado River summit:
The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people across the western United States and a portion of Mexico. The agreements that govern the river expire in 2026 and negotiations have been intense as everyone deals with population demands and less water in the river. Last year, private bickering spilled out into public and the states stopped talking. If no deal is reached, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could make decisions that no side may like or it could end in years of litigation with the courts deciding.
Discussions resumed in January, Haas said, and the states have been meeting twice a month to reach a deal. There are many ideas on the table, she added, but the "amicable divorce" concept shows promise. It's basically a separation between the Upper Basin states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and the Lower Basin states of Arizona, Nevada and California.
"The only thing that would connect the two basins would be releases from Lake Powell," Haas said. "So some folks have referred to this as an 'amicable divorce,' right? We do our thing in the Upper Basin in terms of how we use water, how we conserve water, whether or not we have shortage, hydrologic shortage, and the Lower Basin does its own thing."
Lake Powell would basically be maintained at a certain level to keep both basins happy, Haas clarified to FOX 13 News. She would not disclose specific percentages as each side and the federal government is doing their own modeling. The Lower Basin states also have pledged to reduce their share by 1.5 million acre feet, she said.
Then there is an idea being considered of "natural flow," that would break from forecasts and calculations of how much water to expect in the Colorado River that didn't always align with reality.
"We’re dividing the water based on hydrology and actual supply rather than these absolutes," Haas said.
Some of those who rely on Colorado River water in eastern Utah said they liked what they heard.
"What we’re looking for out here? Is certainty. I mean, water supply is so uncertain in our dry desert climates that this cloud over the Colorado River negotiations? It just adds to the anxiety as water users," said William Merkley, the general manager of the Uintah Water Conservancy District and co-chair of the Central Advisory Council for the Colorado River Authority of Utah.
Rancher Bill Butcher said he liked the concept of "natural flow" and said it seemed fair.
"The natural flow is up and down as the snowpack goes up and down. We get more water, we get less water. This is going to be a better way to do it because when we get less water, we are automatically cut," he said.
This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Colorado River at greatsaltlakenews.org/coloradoriver
