California faces united front as region grapples with Colorado River water cuts | app
With the recent expiration of a federal deadline, California now finds itself at odds with six other states over how to take less water from the shrinking Colorado River.
After rejecting a plan proposed by the rest of the region, California entered a high-stakes political tussle. So why did the state that uses the most water from the Colorado River decide to go it alone?
kAmr2=:7@C?:2 2AA62CD E@ 36 32?<:?8 @? :ED 9:89AC:@C:EJ D6?:@C H2E6C C:89ED[ H9:=6 E96 @E96C DE2E6D 2C6 AC6D6?E:?8 2 F?:E65 7C@?E E@ D9@H E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E E96J DFAA@CE 2 A=2? E92E H@F=5 92G6 r2=:7@C?:2 8:G6 FA >@C6 H2E6C]k^am
kAm“%96 DEC@?86DE E9:?8 E92E E96 @E96C 32D:? DE2E6D 92G6 8@:?8 7@C E96> :DD@>6 C6=2E:G6 =6G6= @7 4@?D6?DFD]p?5 E96 DEC@?86DE E9:?8 r2=:7 @C?:2 92D 8@:?8 7@C:E:D E96 =2H[” D2:5 #96EE {2CD@?[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 H2E6C =2H 2E pC:K@?2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ] “r2=:7@C?:2 😀 ECJ:?8 E@ A=2J :ED 36DE 42C5[ H9:49 :D[ ‘%96 =2H 😀 @? @FC D:56]’ p?5 E96 @E96C D:I DE2E6D 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ A=2J E96:C 36DE 42C5i ‘(6 2C6 @? 6249 @E96C’D D:56]'”k^Am
kAm%96 A2CE:6D 2C6 2E 2? :>A2DD6 2D E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 368:?DE@ H6:89 2=E6C?2E:G6D 7@C C2A:5=J C65F4:?8 H2E6C FD6 2?5 AC6G6?E :?8 E96 C:G6C’D C6D6CG@:CD 7C@> C6249:?8 52?86C@FD=J=@H=6G6=D]k^Am
kAm%96 r@=@C25@ #:G6C[ H9:49 DFAA=:6D 4:E:6D[ 72C>:?8 2C62D 2?5 EC:32= ?2E:@?D 7C@> E96 #@4<J |@F?E2:?D E@ E96 &]$]|6I:4@ 3@C56C[ 92D 366? AFD965 E@ 2 3C62<:?8 A@:?E 3J 49C@?:4 @G6CFD6[ 5C@F89E 2?5 E96 67764ED @7 8=@32= H2C>:?8] %96 C:G6C’D EH@ =2C86DE C6D6CG@:CD[ {2<6 |625 2?5 {2<6 !@H6==[ 92G6 564=:?65 E@ E96 =@H6DE =6G6=D D:?46 E96J H6C6 7:==65]k^am
kAmu656C2= @77:4:2=D 925 42==65 7@C 6249 @7 E96 D6G6 ? DE2E6D E92E C6=J @? E96 C:G6C E@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 2=E6C?2E:G6D 7@C >2<:?8 H2E6C 4FE324
kAm&?56C E96 AC@A@D2= DF3>:EE65 3J pC:K@?2[ r@=@C25@[ }6G252[ }6H |6I:4@[ &E29 2?5 (J@>:?8[ 2 =2C86 A@CE:@? @7 E96 AC@A@D65 H2E6C 4FED H@F=5 36 >256 3J 244@F?E:?8 7@C 6G2A@C2E:@? 2?5 @E96C H2E6C =@DD6D 2=@?8 E96 =@H6C A@CE:@? @7 E96 C:G6C — 2 42=4F=2E:@? E92E H@F=5 EC2?D=2E6 :?E@ 6DA64:2==J =2C86 C65F4E:@?D 7@C r2=:7@C?:2[ H9:49 FD6D E96 =2C86DE D92C6 @7 E96 C:G6C]k^am
kAmx? :ED AC@A@D2=[ r2=:7@C?:2 92D C6:E6C2E65 AC6G:@FD 4@>>:E>6?ED 7@C $@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2 H2E6C 286?4:6D E@ 4FE H2E6C FD6 3J c__[___ 24C6766E A6C J62C[ 2 C65F4E:@? @7 23@FE hT[ E9C@F89 a_ae] %96 AC@A@D2= 2=D@ 42==D 7@C >2<:?8 255:E:@?2= 4FED:? pC:K@?2[ r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 }6G252 @? 2 E:6C65 D42=6 :7 E96 =6G6= @7 {2<6 |625 4@?E:?F6D E@ 564=:?6 E@H2C5 4C:E:42==J =@H =6G6=D]k^am
kAmr2=:7@C?:2 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D $64C6E2CJ (256 rC@H7@@E D2:5 E96 DE2E6’D AC@A@D2= 😀 “E:>6=J[ AC24E:42= 2?5 249:6G23=6 😕 2 H2J E92E H@C<D H:E9:? 6I:DE:?8 =2H]”k ^ Am
kAm%96 D@42==65 “{2H @7 E96 #:G6C” 😀 32D65 @? E96 `haa r@=@C25@ #:G6C r@>A24E[ H9:49 5:G:565 H2E6C 2>@?8 E96 D6G6? DE2E6D[ 2D H6== 2D G2C:@FD 4@FCE 564:D:@?D 2?5 28C66>6?ED @7 E96 =2DE 46?EFCJ] r2=:7@C?:2’D 28C:4F=EFC2= H2E6C 286?4:6D[ 😕 A2CE:4F=2C E96 x>A6C:2= xCC:82E:@? s:DEC:4E 2?5 !2=@ ‘6C56 xCC:82E:@? s:DEC:4E[ 9@=5 D6?:@C H2E6C C:89ED E92E 52E6 324< >@C6 E92? 46?EFCJ[ 8:G:?8 r2=:7@C?:2 2 AC:G:=6865 A@D:E:@? F?56C E96 AC:@C2AAC@AC:2E:@? H2E6C C:89ED DJDE6>[ @7E6? 56D4C:365 2D “7:CDE 😕 E:>6[ 7:CDE 😕 C:89E]”k ^ Am
kAm{6DD E92? 7@FC J62CD 28@[ E96 DE2E6D D66>65 E@ 36 D@=G:?8 AC@3=6>D 2>:423=J[ 2?5 28C665 E@ H2E6C C65F4E:@?D 😕 2 562= 42==65 E96 sC@F89E r@?E:?86?4J !=2?] qFE E9@D6 C65F4E:@?D 92G6?’E 366? ?62C=J 6?@F89 2D E96 C6D6CG@:CD 92G6 4@?E:?F65 E@ 564=:?6 5FC:?8 E96 H@CDE 5C@F89E 😕 46?EFC:6D]k^Am
kAmp?5 E6?D:@?D 92G6 C:D6? @G6C E96 A2DE D6G6C2= >@?E9D[ 6DA64:2==J 36EH66? r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 C68:@?]k^am
kAmyq w2>3J[ E96 492:C @7 r2=:7@C?:2’D r@=@C25@ #:G6C q@2C5[ D2:5 😕 2 DF3>:EE2= =6EE6C E92E E96 DE2E6’D AC@A@D2= H@F=5 “>:?:>:K6 E96 C:D< @7 =682= 492==6?86]”k ^ Am
kAmpC:K@?2 H2E6C 286?4:6D C6=62D65 2 DE2E6>6?E (65?6D52J C6DA@?5:?8 4C:E:42==JE@ r2=:7@C?:2 ‘D AC@A@D2=[ H9:49 E96J D2:5 “C67=64ED 2 DEC:4E 2596C6?46 E@ 2 r2=:7@C?:2 567:?:E:@? @7 E96 {2H @7 E96 #:G6C]”k ^ Am
kAm“qFE E96C6 2C6 5:776C6?E :?E6CAC6E2E:@?D @7 H92E E92E {2H @7 E96 #:G6C 24EF2==J >62?D[” E96 pC:K@?2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2E6C #6D@FC46D 2?5 E96 r6?EC2= pC:K@?2 !C@;64E D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E E96 D:IDE2E6 AC@A@D2= 😀 E96 “>@DE 6BF:E23=6 2?5 677:4:6?E H2J” @7 562=:?8 H:E9 E96 C:G6C’D D6G6C6 H2E6C 567:4:E 5F6 E@ 5C@F89E[ 4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 @G6CFD6]k^am
kAm}@H E92E E96 EH@ D:56D 92G6 DF3>:EE65 DE2C<=J 5:776C6?E AC@A@D2=D[ E96 7656C2= qFC62F @7 #64=2>2E:@? H:== 368:? C6G:6H:?8 E96 2=E6C?2E:G6D 2D A2CE @7 2 C6G:6H E92E 7@4FD6D @? C6G:D:?8 E96 CF=6D 7@C 562=:?8 H:E9 D9@CE286D]k^am
kAm}68@E:2E:@?D 2>@?8 E96 D6G6? DE2E6D 2C6 D6E E@ 4@?E:?F6[ 3FE E96 :>A2DD6 36EH66? r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 E96 @E96C DE2E6D C6>2:?D]k^am
kAmx? E96 4@>:?8 >>@?E9D[ 7656C2= @77:4:2=D H:== A=2J 2 <6J C@=6 2D E96J 2?2=JK6 2?5 H6:89 😕 @? E96 AC@A@D2=D]k^am
kAm(92E6G6C 6>6C86D 7C@> E92E AC@46DD[ E96 C:7E 36EH66? E96 DE2E6D ?@H D66>D =:<6=J E@ EC:886C =682= 5:DAFE6D 2?5 6?5 FA 😕 4@FCE[ {2CD@? D2:5]k^am
kAm“x E9:?< 2E E9:D DE286 :E'D :?6G:E23=6 2?5 E92E'D H96C6 E9:?8D 2C6 962565]p?5 x 2=D@ E9:?< : E >:89E 36 E96 36DE @7 @FC 2G2:=23=6 @AE:@?D ?@H[” {2CD@? D2:5] “(6’C6 4=62C=J ?@E AF==:?8 E@86E96C C:89E ?@H[ 2?5 x E9:?< :E’D AC@323=J E:>6 E@ ECJ =:E:82E:@?]”k ^ Am
k9C ^m
kAm©a_ab {@D p?86=6D %:>6D]’:D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]=2E:>6D]4@>Qm=2E:>6D]4@>k^2m ]s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^am
Copyright 2023 Tribune Content Agency.
Comments are closed.