The Colorado River: A Breakthrough Deal Reached in Year-long Negotiations.

The seven states in the Colorado River basin have submitted a proposal to reduce the amount of water California, Arizona, and Nevada draw from the river through 2026. The Colorado River Compact, drafted in the 1920s, has governed the use of the river, but the states have struggled to develop a new agreement that reflects modern water levels. The once-in-a-millennium drought has pushed the Colorado River to a breaking point, and the urgency of reaching a deal was compounded by low water levels in lakes Powell and Meade. The agreement would cut some 3 million acre-feet from the amount of water allocated to California, Arizona, and Nevada through 2026 and is funded by a combination of voluntary commitments and about $1.2 billion from the federal government.