Dear Western Water readers:

The hard negotiations over the future of the Colorado River have begun, and water users in the Upper Basin are scrambling to find the most efficient ways to utilize their share of the vital waterway that sustains 40 million people. 

One thing is clear to water managers in the Upper and Lower Basin: There will be less available water in the future as the West continues to deal with the specters of drought, overuse and climate change.

Our latest Western Water story follows the journey of the Colorado River District as it attempts to secure the water rights of an aging power plant that has pulled water through its turbines for more than a century. We also take a look at another deal between a tribal nation in New Mexico involving the state and endangered fish. 

Read more about the delicate state of the Colorado River and the water users who are attempting to secure their share for the future.

Water Around the West

Five don’t-miss articles from California and across the West:

The first two botanists who surveyed, and survived, the Colorado River: Brianne Kane of Scientific American interviewed author Melissa Sevigny about a pair of pioneering botanists, Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, and their historic trip down the Colorado River in 1938.

Colorado has big dreams to use more water from the Colorado River. But will planned reservoirs ever be built?: Aspen Journalism’s Heather Sackett investigates the future for Colorado’s Western Slope, which holds conditional rights to 2.6 million acre-feet of Colorado River water but lacks the infrastructure to store it in reservoirs.

In Yosemite, a remarkable wildlife comeback story: The San Francisco Chronicle’s Kurtis Alexander writes about the endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, which is currently showing signs of rebounding following a 15-year effort to save the species.

In the town Erin Brockovich made famous, residents still fear dirty water: The Washington Post’s Silvia Foster-Frau examines the ongoing struggle in Hinkley, California to remove dangerous chemicals from the drinking water supply.

How unconventional crops could save water — and reshape Utah farming: KUER’s David Condos writes about how a grain like kernza could help diversify Utah’s agricultural bounty while conserving water.

Western Water Word of the Day

Colorado River Compact: Signed 102 years ago, the historic agreement divided the Colorado River Basin in two and apportioned the annual flows between the upper and lower basins. The pact set the framework for managing the most important river in the Southwest. Learn more about the agreement referenced in our latest Western Water story in Aquapedia, our water encyclopedia. 

At the Foundation

• Registration is now open for the Foundation’s 2025 Lower Colorado River Tour, which will wind its way from Hoover Dam to Mexico and through the farm-rich Imperial, Palo Verde and Coachella valleys. Grab your ticket for this journey across the arid Southwest before they’re gone! Registration and details here.
• Check out the rest of our early 2025 workshops and tours, and don’t miss our Water 101 Workshop: The Basics & Beyond on April 10 at McGeorge School of Law.

Western Water Resource

Colorado River Basin Map: The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people and nearly 5 million acres of farmland across the Southwest. Our illustrated map will help you pinpoint the Basin’s key rivers, reservoirs, dams, canals, tribal lands and more. Trace the flow of the Colorado River through seven states to Mexico. Order by Dec. 31 to get a 20 percent holiday discount. Use the code HOLIDAYSALE when checking out. Order your copy here.