The Colorado River has been under strain for years from hotter temperatures and prolonged drought. It supplies drinking water to tens of millions of people and provides irrigation for more than 5 million acres of farmland.
And demand has been growing for a shrinking supply. The seven states that rely on water from the river have spent years trying - and failing – to agree on how to divide up less water.
Now the federal government has stepped in with a plan that could mean steep cuts
for some users, especially in the lower-basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada.
So, what does the proposal mean for Colorado? And does it help solve the problem?
Luke Runyon is co-director of The Water Desk, an environmental journalism initiative at the University of Colorado. He joined Erin O’Toole to explain some of the details.
