Drought

The high court heard arguments Monday in a case that states argue could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S. if the court sides with the Navajo Nation.

Arizona, California and Nevada, and other basin states, argue that more water for the Navajo Nation would cut into already scarce supplies for cities, agriculture and business growth.

Gov. Spencer Cox addressed flooding, water and the bills from the recent legislative session during his March monthly news conference.

The funding comes as key reservoirs on the Colorado River hit record lows and booming Western cities and industries fail to adjust their water use to increasingly shrinking supplies.

Climate experts say all the snow and rain over the winter helped alleviate dry conditions in many parts of the West. But it's nowhere near enough to unravel the long-term effects of a stubborn drought.

Nevada lawmakers are considering a significant shift in water use for Las Vegas, one of the driest major metropolitan areas in the U.S.

California officials say the state was not consulted as others that use water from the Colorado River drafted a six-state agreement to propose cutbacks. Representatives from Arizona, Utah and Colorado disagree.

The Bureau of Reclamation is responding to a request from Utah and its neighbors and suspending the releases from the 3rd-largest reservoir on the Colorado River that were propping up Lake Powell.

About 50 young people gathered for a climate strike at the Utah Capitol on March 3 to voice frustrations with the lack of climate legislation this past session and call for change.

The System Conservation Pilot Program was recently rebooted with $125 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to fight shrinking water levels in Lake Powell.

Agriculture uses between 70% and 80% of the Colorado River’s water, and ideas for reducing that have long been contentious.

Arizona, California and Nevada agree in principle with the idea, but urge other states and the Bureau of Reclamation to keep an eye on runoff.