Federal Government Proposes Alternatives for Managing Colorado River System

The Colorado River region is split into a Lower and an Upper basin, which submitted separate plans for the river’s future and could not reach agreement.

Lightning strikes over Lake Mead near Hoover Dam, which impounds Colorado River water at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona, on July 28, 2014. John Locher/AP Photo

Several potential alternatives for the long-term management of the Colorado River System have been proposed by the federal government after the Basin states—reliant on the river for essential services such as drinking water and electricity—failed to reach a consensus earlier this year.

The Colorado River region is divided into a Lower Basin, which includes Arizona, California, and Nevada, and an Upper Basin, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.