EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Post received the following press releases following the failure of the seven Colorado River Basin states — Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California — to agree on a plan to address the future of Colorado River diversions. The federal government had set a deadline of February 14.
AG Weiser ‘disappointed’ over Colorado River talks
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser issued the following statement in regarding the end of negotiations over future management of the Colorado River without an agreement:
“I am disappointed that the seven Basin States could not reach a consensus agreement on the future management of the Colorado River by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s February 14 deadline. In the spirit of compromise, the Upper Basin States, including Colorado, recently offered a revised proposal that closely followed a plan recommended by the Interior Department. The Lower Basin rejected that plan, did not offer an alternate proposal, and walked away from the table before the deadline.
“Colorado will continue to work with our fellow Upper Division States to provide comments on the federal government’s draft environmental impact statement, which sets forth a range of possible solutions. The Upper Division States will have to cut back their usage of water from the Colorado River—by 40 percent or more—in the face of an historic drought.
“Colorado is prepared for any litigation, and we will work tirelessly to protect our state’s rights and interests under the Law of the Colorado River.”
MEDIA STATEMENT on the Missed Deadline and Extreme Drought on the Colorado River
Hi Colorado River Media,
You are all likely aware of the missed deadline on the Colorado River as well as the extreme drought, both discussed in this short AP story yesterday. Here’s Save The Colorado’s statement on the whole mess:
“If your goal was to drain Lake Powell and force the bypassing and eventual decommissioning of Glen Canyon Dam, then the states’ lack of action is exactly what you’d wish for. While that is one of our organization’s goals, we believe it should be done in a professional process where stakeholders are brought together to achieve the best post-dam outcome, rather than through this haphazard leadership vacuum the states are offering the public in the face of this extreme drought.” — Gary Wockner PhD, Save The Colorado
Hickenlooper Statement on Colorado River Negotiations
U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement on negotiations for future Colorado River operations.
“This winter’s alarmingly low snowpack across Colorado adds an exclamation point to the already dire drought in the Basin. If we don’t address this problem together – head-on and fast – our communities, farms, and economies will suffer.
“The best path forward is the one we take together. Litigation won’t solve the problem of this long-term aridification. No one knows for sure how the courts could decide and the math will only get worse.
“We need to avoid wasting time – and water – and come together to chart a path to a more sustainable future.”