Dwindling Colorado River creates water and power challenges for the Western US

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The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 05, 2026

The Hill's Headlines (PM) - August 05, 2026

As the Colorado River dwindles, it threatens to reduce the availability of both water and electricity in the Western U.S.

Last week, the federal government came up with a plan that aims to manage the river water, but critics on both sides of the aisle warn that deep cuts to water use could be harmful in the states that depend on it. 

The river has been in a drought for more than 25 years, and its levels have fallen over time. A recent study from NASA found that since 2002, Colorado River reservoirs and aquifers have lost a total of 52 cubic kilometers of water. 

That drought, intensified by climate change, is one factor in constraining the water supply. Another is heavy usage, especially for agriculture, including crops such as hay that are particularly water intensive.  

The shrinking resource has created a conundrum for the seven states that rely on the river: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. 

In those states, the Colorado River provides water for farming, municipal use, industrial use and human consumption.

Arizona, California and Nevada, collectively known as the lower........

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