A top Colorado River negotiator says states are making progress in talks about how to share water supplies in the future. But there’s still division on a plan. The river’s Upper Basin states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico — are sticking to river management proposals from March.
"I've continued to prioritize the protection of Colorado's water users. I am not ashamed of that. And as such have drawn a firm line against any mandatory reductions in the Upper Basin," said Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s top water official.
Mitchell says there’s no legal justification for those kinds of reductions. These proposals have been a major wedge in negotiations with Colorado's downstream counterparts. The federal government is putting pressure on the parties to come together on a single water-sharing strategy by the end of the year.