A spring heat wave is already melting this year's dismally bad snowpack in the Colorado Rockies, and new projections show that only a quarter of the normal amount of water will flow through the river this summer.
"That's the third lowest on record," said Alan Halaly, water reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "The only years that beat it are the ones that kind of started this 20-year drought cycle that we've been in. So, it's dire conditions, and it's certainly turning up the heat when we're talking about delivering some sort of agreement [on the Colorado].
That agreement between the seven states that use the water from the Colorado River remains elusive. However, a proposal from Nevada's chief negotiator, John Entsminger, seems to have garnered some attention. It would look to put in place a temporary agreement requiring the release of more water from Upper Basin reservoirs.
"Nevada's proposal is kind of reinvigorating the talks, in that they're looking toward a two-year agreement to keep things going in this really, really bad water year," Halaly said. "The Upper Basin states have not yet divulged what is in their counterproposal or what their hang-up is."
In the coming months, Halaly plans to focus on learning Nevada's backup plan should negotiators fail to reach an agreement in time.
"Nevada hasn't really been very public about how it's preparing for what could be a very long, costly court battle between the states that would almost certainly go to the Supreme Court," Halaly added. "Just the other day, Arizona hired an outside counsel for the first time for a potential legal fight, and we haven't heard anything from Attorney General Ford or Governor Lombardo as to what our strategy looks like."
The agreement that governs each of the seven states' allotments of the Colorado River expires on December 31, 2026.
Guest: Alan Halaly, water reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal
