Agreement protects state's water supplies
Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News
Published May 1, 2007 at midnight
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Western states that rely on the Colorado River for water have agreed on a plan for dry years that protects Colorado's supplies, Gov. Bill Ritter said Monday.
Deliveries to Arizona and Nevada in drought years would drop when water levels in Lake Mead drop below a set level, he said.
Arizona, Nevada and California all use their share of the Colorado River - or more - each year while Wyoming and Colorado haven't fully tapped their share.
The agreement, reached at a meeting last week of the Colorado River Basin states, will help protect Colorado's supply from the demands of other basin states during droughts.
The agreement still must be approved by Secretary of Interior Richard Kempthorne, who is reviewing the proposal.
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