SALT LAKE CITY — A new poll released Wednesday finds an overwhelming majority of Americans living in states along the Colorado River worry about its future.
The poll, commissioned by Morning Consult and the Walton Family Foundation, found 86% of those surveyed believe addressing drought and diminishing water supplies in the Colorado River system is an important challenge. They also want federal (89%) and state (91%) governments to make it a priority.
"The decisions we make about the Colorado River now will shape life in the West for generations to come," Moira Mcdonald, the environment program director at the Walton Family Foundation said in a statement announcing the poll results. "It is critical that Colorado River Basin states, the federal government and Tribal Nations collaborate on long-term investments that work with nature to make the river more resilient, conserve water and protect communities from increasingly severe fires and drought."
The survey respondents worried about drought, wildfire risk, threats to drinking water, increased insurance costs, reduced food supplies and power supply shortages. They also overwhelmingly supported investments in water infrastructure, forest management, environmental protection measures and help to farmers and ranchers.
In Utah, the survey found, 86% of Utahns were worried about the future of the Colorado River and its impact on the state. It also found that 93% of Utahns believe state government must do more to address it. Utahns were also overwhelmingly worried (90%) about the future of Lake Powell.
The Colorado River supplies water to more than 40 million people across the West, including Utah. Agreements governing the mighty river will lapse later this year. But the states have been unable to reach an agreement on who gets what and it has become a politically volatile subject with threats of lawsuits. The Trump administration is set to release its plan this week for managing the river in the absence of a states-led agreement. It could result in deep cuts to all states. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is offering a series of short-term deals in hopes of getting the states to find consensus.
Recent studies have found the demand for water is exceeding its supply, with drought and rising temperatures attributed to a changing climate also impacting the entire system. Recently, the federal government ordered the release of water from Flaming Gorge to prop up Lake Powell and keep it generating power for millions.
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
