Dependence on the Colorado River as a water supply source has been shaken by 16 years of drought that have rewritten the rules for managing water. In the Lower Basin, water users are grappling with the potential of a shortage that would reduce annual allocations.

In the Upper Basin, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and the Up­per Colorado River Commission are working on a Drought Contingency Plan that outlines the means by which the Upper Basin will attempt to avoid critical low-reservoir conditions at Lake Powell – conditions that could cause severe consequences for the system and water users.

Water Education Foundation Writer Gary Pitzer delves into the issue in the Winter 2016/2017 edition of River Report, the Foundation’s biannual Colorado River newsletter, which is a free resource for the public.