SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's negotiator over the Colorado River told FOX 13 News that the Trump administration may have to make a short-term decision for the states before they can achieve some consensus.
With an October deadline to strike a new deal to manage the mighty river that supplies water to more than 40 million people across the West, the states have been at an impasse. So Gene Shawcroft, Utah's commissioner over the river, said they may let the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proceed with its proposal in the short term.
"The rules of the game for the next year would be according to that record of decision," Shawcroft told FOX 13 News on Tuesday at a meeting of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, the entity that manages Utah's stake on the river. "If we were to come up with something beyond that, after that, then there’s opportunity for Reclamation to adjust the environmental work and put in a seven-state alternative — if we were to come to that point in the near future."
The states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — have been trying to strike a deal, but they're divided largely along the lines of who cuts what and where. Upper and Lower Basin states have demanded the other make deeper cuts. All states are grappling with impacts from drought, climate change and less coming into the river system. Lake Powell is currently 25% full; Lake Mead is 31%. The entire Colorado River system is currently 35% of capacity.
WATCH: Lower Basin states offer a Colorado River deal
"You talk about the Green and the Colorado rivers not yielding much. Guess what? We’re not getting anything to give to them. It’s tough!" said Jay Mark Humphries, who represents Carbon and Emery counties on the Colorado River Authority of Utah's board.
Shawcroft said there is no new water and everyone is taking cuts. Across the Colorado River system in Utah, farmers and ranchers have been seeing less water. Communities have had outdoor water cut off.
While some have floated the potential for litigation (and Utah's legislature socked money into a special account for that reason), Shawcroft said the states are in agreement they don't want to go there. Some of the states have expressed interest in mediation to resolve their disputes.
"Mediation is better than litigation and I agree with that. It would be an iterative process, it won’t be a long-term deal as we had hoped. It would be an incremental process," Shawcroft said.
In a letter sent to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month, the governors of all seven states along the Colorado River said they were still committed to a multi-state deal. They urged the Trump administration to free up funding for needed conservation and infrastructure programs.
"As our seven states continue to work toward an agreement to minimize conflict and address the reality of reduced water supplies through a post-2026 framework, unprecedented amounts of shared federal and state investment will be required. That is why we write to express the urgency of federal funding without preempting or endorsing particular proposals or positions taken by our undersigned states. Our collective efforts will reduce pressure on Lake Powell and Lake Mead and build water supply resilience throughout the basin," the governors wrote.
Governor Spencer Cox recently said he believed a short-term deal was still possible between the states.
In a statement to FOX 13 News, a spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it was prepared to move forward with its proposal to manage the river.
"Given the risk and uncertainty facing the Basin, these elements are designed to provide stability while allowing flexibility to incorporate consensus‑based recommendations as they develop," the agency said.
Recently, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ordered the release of up to a million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge to prop up Lake Powell and keep Glen Canyon Dam generating power for millions. Upper Basin states agreed to that. The agency also ordered water kept back in Lake Powell, which means cuts for Lower Basin states.
The Flaming Gorge releases are expected to negatively impact the economy of Daggett County, which is a recreation hot spot in Utah.
WATCH: Utah agrees to massive water release from Flaming Gorge to prop up Colorado River system
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
