Colorado River Reaches Watershed Pact

The Colorado River’s squawfish, razorback sucker, bonytail chub and humpback chub may start jumping again. Though weathering an extreme eight-year drought, the Colorado River Basin’s seven states settled on a water arrangement yesterday, according to the Los Angeles Times. California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming have agreed to conserve and manage the Colorado River’s drying water supply.

The pact, which commences immediately and flows through 2026, is meant to improve water efficiency and allocate water reductions as the drought continues. According to USA Today, "'emergency triggers' in the 18-year plan could trip as soon as 2010 if the worst dry spell in a century doesn't subside." The pact also encourages conservation through state water credits.

Flowing straight through the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River not only supplies water to 25 million people and one million acres of farmland, but also provides natural habitat to a wide range of ecosystems.

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