During this week’s annual conference of water users in Las Vegas, a pair of Arizona tribes inked a new proclamation in hopes of setting an example for how other Basin states could operate when it comes to conserving the Colorado River.
The Gila River Indian Community and Colorado River Indian Tribes signed that accord along with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District on Wednesday. Each of those entities admit they’ve had different and often competing priorities, but are now coming together under a common goal of “protecting the Colorado River.”
Estimates link long-term drought and overuse to flows declining by 20% since 2000. And with that grim outlook, the signatories’ commitment to pursue “collaborative and creative partnerships” comes at a time of uncertainty — with the seven states still not reaching consensus on how to share it.
