water cuts

The Colorado River Basin is operating under a new plan starting Saturday, and for the first time ever, it includes mandatory cutbacks for some who draw water from the river; There are some road closures planned for Southwest Colorado this weekend.

The federal government declared a water shortage for much of the Southwest last week, resulting in the first ever mandatory cutbacks for some who draw from the Colorado River. As two decades of drought, increased demand and climate change cut deep into the West’s water supply, the region is looking ahead to a future where supplies might drop further still.