#colorado-river

#colorado-river

They said these "dirt-cheap" prices cost taxpayers, add to the strains on scarce water, and discourage conservation - even as the Colorado River's depleted reservoirs continue to decline. "Federal taxpayers have been subsidizing effectively free water for a very, very long time," said Noah Garrison, a researcher at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. "We can't address the growing water scarcity in the West while we continue to give that water away for free or close to it."

On the day of a Nov. 11 federal deadline for states to submit a water management plan for the Colorado River, negotiations remain deadlocked. Without agreement, it is unclear how a water supply that millions depend on will be managed after the fall of 2026. With hours left, a deal seems increasingly unlikely - raising the possibility of the federal government stepping in with its own plan, or that states will resort to litigation.

Jeff Brady, 51, dove into the Colorado River to rescue two boys aged 10 and 12 from the current, ultimately drowning during the attempted rescue.

Alfalfa and other types of hay are used to feed cattle and other livestock, and in recent years they have been exported in growing quantities to China, Saudi Arabia and other countries.