There is broad agreement that the Colorado River is in crisis but no agreement yet as to what to do about it.

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Solutions remain elusive as 'dead pool' looms
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, December 19, 2022
Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, USGS ([link removed])

At the annual Colorado River Water Users Conference, held last week in Las Vegas, Nevada, there was broad agreement that the river is in crisis but no agreement yet as to what to do about it. Meanwhile, between overallocation of the river's water and an ongoing drought, reservoirs continue to shrink. Federal officials now warn ([link removed]) that in two years, Lake Mead could reach "dead pool" — a water level so low that water will no longer flow past Hoover Dam to users downstream.

Despite the widely-acknowledged seriousness of the situation, negotiators have not yet come to a voluntary agreement that would make meaningful cuts to water use. If water managers from across the Colorado River Basin cannot reach an agreement, the federal government may impose ([link removed]) drastic and mandatory cuts.

But even this may be too little too late to avoid catastrophic impacts. "The circumstances on the ground are overtaking the pace of negotiations and discussions," said John Entsminger ([link removed]) , the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “One way or another, physics and Mother Nature are going to dictate outcomes if we don’t come up with some solutions."
Quick hits


** Nations promise to protect 30 percent of planet to stem extinction
------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Post ([link removed]) | New York Times ([link removed])


** Action 'absolutely critical' on the Colorado River
------------------------------------------------------------

Associated Press ([link removed]) | Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Nevada Independent ([link removed])


** 'Path of the Pronghorn' protections delayed as development proceeds
------------------------------------------------------------

WyoFile ([link removed])


** Idaho cobalt mine could help transition U.S to green energy, but at what cost?
------------------------------------------------------------

Idaho Statesman ([link removed])


** Dealing with methane escaping from shuttered mines sparks debate
------------------------------------------------------------

Glenwood Springs Post-Independent ([link removed])


** Things to watch in the omnibus spending bill
------------------------------------------------------------

E&E News ([link removed])


** Property tax, corner-crossing lawsuit values differ for Elk Mt. Ranch
------------------------------------------------------------

WyoFile ([link removed])


** Iconic mountain lion euthanized after 'extraordinary life'
------------------------------------------------------------

Washington Post ([link removed]) | Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) | Associated Press ([link removed]) | The Guardian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” We can't rely on what we've done in the past to be adequate for the future.”
—David Palumbo, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Nevada Independent ([link removed])
Picture this


** @usinterior ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
If you haven’t visited @greatbasinnp ([link removed]) during winter, you are missing out. Frost delicately ornaments every feature of the park from high mountain peaks to low stream beds. Trails and roads are explored by adventurous visitors on skis and snowshoes, and wildlife leave tracks in the fresh powder.

Photo by Karen Robinson

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Copyright © 2022 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])