Utah is launching a plan to pay farmers to leave some of their irrigation water in the Colorado River system. The Colorado River Authority of Utah board has approved the first round of applicants for the state’s new Demand Management Pilot Program. It includes more than a dozen projects along Colorado River tributaries in eastern and southeastern Utah. The program will use up to $4.2 million of state money to compensate farmers who temporarily forgo using some of their water in 2025 and 2026. … Utah leaders hope quantifying the water those projects save will help the state avoid mandatory cutbacks as it looks toward a renegotiated Colorado River agreement in 2026.

Other Colorado River news:

• The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah): Facing historically dry winter, this booming southern Utah county has yet to agree on water conservation plan
• Rocky Mountain Community Radio (Crested Butte, Colo.): Western Colorado Republican seeks to open up millions of acres in the west to oil and gas