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County officials raise concerns about Colorado River allocations, cite 1922 compact and 2026 deadline
Summary
Speakers at the Duchesne County meeting debated how cuts should be shared between upper- and lower-basin states, invoking the 1922 compact and noting an October 1, 2026 planning deadline; officials urged state engineer engagement.
Speakers at the Duchesne County Council of Governments meeting pressed for clearer rules on how drought-related water cuts will be allocated under the long-running Colorado River framework. Scott Allen said the baseline allocation in the interstate compact remains a central point of negotiation: "The 1922 compact allocated 7500000 acre feet," he said, urging a percentage-based approach for upper-basin representation.
A committee member and other participants described recent delivery averages of "4.5 to 5" million acre-feet in recent years and warned that lower-basin states’ historical overuse complicates equitable sharing. The speakers noted a federal planning milestone — an October 1, 2026 deadline — and invited the state engineer and other officials to upcoming conservation-district briefings to discuss possible cut mechanisms. The meeting reflected concern that without clearer rules, local water managers and river commissioners will face difficult choices in dry years.
