New federal rules for the Colorado River take effect October 2026. The Grand Valley's fertile farmland depends on what happens next. Make your voice heard before it's too late.
The Colorado River has 20% less water than it did two decades ago and new federal operating rules for Lakes Powell and Mead are being negotiated right now. The current guidelines expire at the end of September 2026. What replaces them will determine whether the Grand Valley's farms, ranches, and communities keep their water.
The problem isn't Upper Basin farmers. It's a math problem that's gone unaddressed for 25 years: the Lower Basin consumes far more than the river provides. If we had fixed it then, we'd have nearly 30 million acre-feet of storage available today. Instead, Upper Basin communities like ours are being asked to "volunteer" cuts.
Every crop in the Grand Valley from peaches to corn to hay exists because of irrigation water. This fertile land is desert without it. Cuts are permanent.
1.5 million acre-feet disappears every year to Lower Basin evaporation and transit losses unaccounted for in their delivery calculations. That must change before any shortage talk begins.
Western Colorado farmers and communities have been living with a shrinking river for years. Our neighbors downstream have not. The new rules must reflect that reality.
New rules must prohibit exporting Grand Valley water out of the Upper Basin. Our water must stay here to support our farms, wildlife, and future generations.
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