Overview
- Negotiators say they are close on broad concepts but still divided over how to run the reservoirs and whether all states must take mandatory cuts in dry years.
- The Interior Department set a November 11 deadline for a consensus framework, and failure to agree could trigger a federal backstop for post-2026 operations.
- Colorado’s Becky Mitchell says current rules are not working and notes both reservoirs are roughly 30% full as the 2007 interim guidelines approach their 2026 expiration.
- Colorado Springs draws about half its supply from the basin and, with reuse, nearly 70%, and it is modeling risks that include a decade with a 20% reduction in Colorado River sources.
- Utah has expanded measurement and monitoring since 2023 with a $1 million infrastructure project and $650,000 in annual funding, as farmers warn that 10%–20% allocation cuts would strain operations.