Western governors hold historic meeting in Washington, D.C. over management of Colorado River
A historic meeting took place at the nation's capital on Friday as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis joined governors from across the Colorado River Basin.
He joined the governors of Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Nevada and Arizona in talks centered on how to reach an agreement that protects the Colorado River. Polis said the discussion focused on next steps, timelines and a commitment from all of the states involved to avoid litigation.
Nearly 40 million people across the seven states and over 30 tribes depend on water from the Colorado River, and concerns are rising as threats to the river's water supply increase.
The Colorado River Compact, an over 100-year-old agreement, governs the allocation of the water, but growth and climate concerns have made the situation more unbalanced. Utah, Arizona and Nevada were among the top ten states in percent growth from 2024 to 2025.
A report by the University of Colorado's River Research Group warned that risks to the water supply across the basin could affect the economy and governance. They said that time is short and that there's not enough urgency in state leaders who need to make a decision.
"The Colorado River Compact of 1922 has some language in it about how much water must move from the upper states to the lower states, and we're getting very close to dropping below the threshold specified in that compact," said Douglas Kenney, director of the Western Water Policy Program of the Getches-Wilkinson Center at the University of Colorado Law School and chair of the Colorado River Research Group.
Governors have been working on renegotiating the water use pact for more than two years, missing the November deadline to reach a new agreement. That deadline was pushed back to Feb. 14.
"Since 2022, Colorado and the upper basin states have shown up to the negotiating table ready to have hard conversations," Polis asserted. "We have offered sacrifices to ensure the long-term viability of the Colorado River, and we remain committed to working collaboratively to find solutions that protect water for our state while supporting the vitality of the Colorado River and everyone who depends on it."
