SALT LAKE CITY — Progress appears to be happening in the high-stakes negotiations over the future of the Colorado River.
Ahead of a Tuesday deadline by the Trump administration for a deal in principle, the Colorado River Commissioner for Utah said in a statement to FOX 13 News that they may get there.
"These are incredibly complex negotiations, and we’re continuing to work through some challenging issues. The federal government has done a commendable job keeping all seven Basin States engaged and at the table. We’re making steady progress on key issues the federal government has identified, aiming to reach broad alignment by November 11—even if the finer details come later," said Gene Shawcroft.
"If we can get there, it may allow the states to retain control of the process and avoid federal intervention. Utah remains fully committed to defending every drop of Colorado River water to protect our communities and water users, and we’re hopeful that the Basin States can unite around a workable framework before the February deadline."
The word of a potential agreement would be a sigh of relief for many watching the tense negotiations between the seven states over water for more than 40 million people. Different ideas have been suggested, such as an "amicable divorce" over managing water in the Upper and Lower Basins of the Colorado River, and relying more upon the hydrology that's actually there and less on forecasts.
Environmentalists have called for deeper cuts than the states have suggested. Recently, the Utah Division of Water Rights warned of the potential for curtailments — cutting people off from water — if a deal can't be reached.
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
