No one knows better than those in Arizona the critical importance of the Colorado River.

The lifeblood of the American West, the Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million people and fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states.

It is a crucial resource for 30 tribal nations and two states in Mexico, and it supports 5.5 million acres of agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, in addition to important ecosystems and endangered species.

In 2021, historic drought along the river brought the communities it serves to a near crisis.

A 23-year megadrought diminished the river’s largest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to critically low elevations. Ravaged by the climate crisis, extreme drought and unsustainable water use, this vital artery was drained to perilous lows, jeopardizing agriculture, urban areas and ecosystems.

Without decisive intervention and bold action, the river’s survival, and the lives that depend on it, was at risk.

This is why the Biden-Harris administration launched an all-of-government approach to address the short-term risk and set the stage for the development of long-term solutions to help avoid a similar crisis in the future.

At the heart of this effort was open dialogue and collaboration, led by the Department’s Bureau of........

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