Does the Colorado River fight need a referee?
An independent facilitator could help move the talks forward
An independent facilitator could help Western states reach a long-term agreement over the Colorado River, as record-low snowpack and record-high heat reinforce the need for solutions to manage the river’s dwindling supply.
It’s been more than a month since Colorado and six other southwestern states missed a deadline to update the century-old agreement that governs who gets to use how much of the river’s water.
On one side are the so-called Upper Basin states — Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico — where most of the river’s water originates as Rocky Mountain snowmelt. On the other side are the so-called Lower Basin states that use most of the water — California, Nevada and Arizona.
Negotiators are considering a temporary deal to avoid the federal government imposing its own plan, which could lead to lengthy and expensive legal battles. But water management experts argued recently in The Conversation that the states are using different data and getting hung up on details in addition to dealing with a highly politicized election-year context.
Although the circumstances of the Colorado River fight are unique, the experts said independent facilitators have helped solve complex water management disagreements in the past – and they could help resolve this dispute too.
Need to Know
🏟️ Denver residents are voicing transportation concerns related to the Broncos’ plans to build a new stadium and entertainment district in the area of downtown known as Burnham Yard. People who live near the planned development want to ensure it adequately plans for sufficient parking and access to public transit. (Denver Post, Denver city government website, Broncos’ website)
🍃 The Colorado Department of Transportation will use $12 million that it didn’t spend on snowplowing this winter to clear trees and grass near important highways. The goal is to prevent wildfires from shutting down crucial travel and shipping routes like I-70, which was closed for two weeks in the summer of 2020 due to a wildfire. (Denver Post)
📺 Colorado and several other states are fighting the federal government’s approval of a merger between media megacorporations Tegna, which owns 9News, and Nexstar, which owns Fox 31. Attorney General Phil Weiser said the merger would cause job losses in addition to raising prices for consumers and leaving them with fewer options for news. (Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Associated Press)
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Something Good
🧑🌾 I’m a bit late to the game this year, but I’m finally looking into Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares near me. It’s basically a pre-purchase of locally grown produce that helps give financial stability to local farmers. I live in Jeffco, which has a helpful website that lists some urban farms. The state government also has some good resources if you’re interested.