There is a sense of urgency regarding how the overallocated Colorado River is managed amid looming shortages and a grim climate change forecast.

People who have dealt with river management issues for decades are girding for a heightened degree of activity that calls upon years of trust and collaboration to compose a plan for equitably sharing a vital resource.

The alternative, it’s said, is an undesirable outcome that sends the available water to the places that can afford to pay the most for it.

Read more in this excerpt from the latest Western Water magazine.