"Colorado River faces water crisis and proposed cuts amid drought"

The US government has proposed two historic plans to prevent the Colorado River crisis from worsening, which could lead to cuts of up to 2 million acre-feet of river water supplied to cities and farms in the Southwest. The proposals would hit major agricultural regions hardest and run against laws that have governed the river for many decades. The river has been drying out for over two decades, and climate change continues to warm the basin. The proposals are meant to guide and accelerate negotiations before summer, and if states can’t come to an agreement, the Bureau will act unilaterally and mandate cuts.