Colorado River

Estevan López, New Mexico's water negotiator, said talks resumed March 2, and the upper and lower basin states are using a short-term pitch from Nevada as a starting point.

The sluggish Colorado River negotiations have entered a new phase: Long and fiery letter writing.

Rep. Jeff Hurd answered questions on energy, immigration, voting laws and Colorado River water policy during a tele-town hall with thousands of constituents.

The seven states that rely on the Colorado River need to figure out who will take cuts to water usage as climate change worsens drought in the basin. The federal government needs to start an environmental review process in order to have any new operating guidelines in place by October.

North Fork High School students and community leaders role-play drought decisions in a water planning game as Colorado faces low snowpack and Colorado River uncertainty.

Leaders of environmental groups are issuing fresh warnings this week about the impacts the ongoing gridlock could have in the river basin.

The Fetcher ranch in northwest Colorado is on the frontlines this year of record-low snowpack across the West. It's adding a sense of urgency among seven states to finalize a plan for how to conserve the dwindling Colorado River.

New World screwworm and Asian longhorned ticks threaten livestock as the Southwest faces megadrought, low snowpack, and declining Colorado River water levels.

On the eve of the high-stakes summit, negotiators from both the upper and lower river basins are not sounding confident they can reach an agreement with less than three weeks to go before a Feb. 14 deadline.

The proposals range from taking "no action" to a scenario that might result in water cuts to the lower basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona. One alternative developed in partnership with conservation groups would incentivize states and water users to proactively conserve the river.