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Upper-basin negotiators say voluntary conservation needed as Colorado River supply drops
Summary
Mark Stilson of the Colorado River Authority of Utah briefed the Carbon County Commission on basin-wide negotiations to replace expiring guidelines, saying states likely must agree to 2–4 million acre-feet of cuts and describing a Utah pilot paying farmers to conserve water.
Mark Stilson of the Colorado River Authority of Utah told Carbon County commissioners that negotiations among the seven basin states aim to replace expiring operational guidelines and that “one way or another there’s going to be a reduction” in water available from the Colorado River.
The update outlined the basin context and the key choices negotiators face: the Lower Basin states have signaled they will accept the first 1.5 million acre-feet of reductions, but deeper cuts of 2 to 4 million acre-feet will require agreement on how additional reductions are shared. Stilson said the Upper Basin states have proposed voluntary measures that include credits for water saved and a Lake Powell account to which conserved water would…
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