Arizona

Negotiators are focusing on a five-year agreement for sharing water from the shrinking river. Experts say that would provide some much-needed flexibility.

State negotiators entered the meeting at a years-long impasse over how water restrictions should be managed during dry years. They now have less than two weeks until a federal Feb. 14 deadline.

The two neighboring towns on the Arizona-Utah border that once served as a haven for a polygamous religious sect have entered a new era now that they've been released from court supervision nearly two years earlier than expected.

Dozens of the 575 federally recognized Native American tribes are making it easier to get tribal IDs by waiving fees, lowering the age of eligibility and printing cards on the spot. As Native Americans rush to secure the documents, many see a bitter irony in the first people of the land having to prove that they too are U.S. citizens.

Water leaders in the U.S. West gathered this week in Las Vegas with a hefty task hanging over their heads — figuring out a long-term plan for sharing water from the Colorado River.

Utah and the 6 states that share the river missed a federal Nov. 11 deadline to make progress on a new water agreement. Gov. Katie Hobbs said she has a hard time believing the Upper Basin states can't reduce water use.

A group of nonprofits is calling for reductions to water demand, changes at Glen Canyon Dam and more transparent negotiations.

Two years ahead of what could be a final round of applications, allegations of predatory representation and solicitation are on the rise, and especially targeting tribal communities. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was reauthorized over the summer.

"I was a political casualty," said Ted Cooke, a longtime Arizona water manager. Some policymakers in the Upper Basin quietly expressed concern that he might favor the Lower Basin in negotiations.

Flagstaff, Arizona, became the first ever DarkSky Community in 2001. Central Idaho is home to the only DarkSky Reserve in the U.S. and Utah has the highest concentration of places globally. More towns in Colorado want to join the ranks.

The move by the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Arizona and California would give rights of nature to the water, marking a historic first.

The announcement Friday by federal officials means Arizona will again go without 18% of its allocation, while Mexico loses 5%. The reduction for Nevada will stay at 7%