Last month, the seven Upper and Lower Basin states failed to come up with new terms defining how the Colorado River is to be shared — after missing a federal deadline set by the Interior Department.
Now, water users from across the West are set to meet for an annual conference starting Tuesday. It’s organized by CRWUA — or the Colorado River Water Users Association.
Thirty federally recognized tribes are among those trekking to Las Vegas, including Amelia Flores, who is chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes — or CRIT — living along the border of California.
CRIT is Arizona’s largest and most senior Colorado River water rights holder.
Despite frequent meetings with and visits from federal officials housed at the Bureau of Reclamation and Interior Department, Flores suggests those agencies are scrambling to figure things out.
“Our hopes is to hear some tidbits, some inkling,” Flores told KJZZ, “how the tribes play a part in that. It’s going to be interesting to see what information is going to be passed down to us.”
A new timeline has been made for states to finalize an agreement by mid-February.
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A professor at Northern Arizona University teamed up with Navajo communities to test water quality in remote wells. The map is meant to help tribal members still struggling with the effects of past uranium mining. -
Cataloging information from the Confluence may also be used to potentially deter future commercial development by industries like hydropower — while the Trump administration is eyeing energy projects on tribal lands. -
The federal agency’s action — published Tuesday — contends that its decision is intended to “encourage energy production” in the midst of Trump’s self-declared national energy emergency. -
From receiving a coveted James Beard Award to taping an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” with Flavortown restaurateur and TV host Guy Fieri, the Fry Bread House has turned into a beloved local culinary staple over the last three decades. -
Appointed by George W. Bush, Judge Richard Leon in D.C. ruled last week that granting an injunction is “unwarranted” — writing he expects the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will “follow through on its guarantees of consultation.”
