Dave Marston: 'Here’s a question the Upper Basin states seem inclined to ask: If the 1922 Colorado River Compact parceling out the river’s water is the law, shouldn’t California face major cuts?'
Imperial Dam, Where 3.1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water is diverted annually to the Imperial Valley Irrigation District in Winterhaven, Calif.It seemed inevitable that the dwindling Colorado River would be divvied up by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. On June 14, BuRec gave the seven states in the Colorado River compact just 60 days to find a way to cut their total water usage by up to 4 million acre-feet. No plans emerged.
That concession meant the 1.4 million acre-feet capacity of the Central Arizona Project has junior water rights. In a shortage — like now — the Central Arizona Project, except for tribal water rights, could be cut to zero, a blow to cities and agriculture. For the Upper Basin states, says University of Wyoming Law professor Jason Robison, “It’s more nuanced. But there’s significant federal authority to run those Upper Basin reservoirs,” though none are very large. Where might other water cuts be found? Colorado’s 1876 constitution ranked municipal water over agriculture, making it tough to dry up cities like Colorado Springs or Aurora, even though their water rights are junior.
What the federal government can’t touch for now is any Upper Basin irrigation project created before the signing of the Colorado River Compact in 1922. In Colorado, a spreadsheet compiled by the state’s Division of Water Resources tells what projects, by date, risk losing water. Some Western slope irrigators are vulnerable because the water rights they’re using were bought by municipalities only recently, intending them for future growth.
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Day Shift 2: What Dave Franco Wants From a SequelWhile a sequel to the Netflix vampire action comedy film Day Shift has yet to be confirmed, Dave Franco knows exactly what he'd like to see from a sequel.
Leer más »
Jake Paul Bets He Can Beat Everyone Else in Sports MediaJake Paul has a new sports-media and mobile-betting company, and he thinks he can take on ESPN, DraftKings, and Dave Portnoy. MatthewStieb reports
Leer más »
Donald Trump's 'delay tactic' on Mar-a-Lago likely doomed: ProsecutorPalm Beach County Attorney Dave Aronberg described Trump's lawsuit as a 'delay tactic' that was 'a day late and a dollar short' on Monday.
Leer más »
Pa. senator presses Fetterman to disclose information about his health crisisSenate State Government Committee Chairman Dave Argall sent a second letter to Pa. lieutenant governor to respond to his earlier request for communications transmitted to the governor's office in the immediate aftermath of his hospitalization for a stroke.
Leer más »
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg Marries Tom Bernthal in Wyoming - E! OnlineSeven years after the death of her husband Dave Goldberg, Sheryl Sandberg tied the knot with fiancé Tom Bernthal. Keep reading to find out the special person who served as their co-officiant.
Leer más »