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Conservation Groups Urge Colorado River States to Adapt or Face Dire Consequences
1 Oct, 2025
Summary
- Coalition of groups releases report with 9 recommendations to reduce Colorado River water use
- Negotiations between states stall as federal deadline looms
- Existing dams like Glen Canyon may need modifications to adapt to lower stream flows
As western states approach a critical 2026 deadline to reach a consensus on managing the Colorado River's dwindling water supply, a coalition of conservation groups has stepped forward with a bold plan to confront the crisis.
In a report released last month, the Great Basin Water Network, Living Rivers-Colorado Riverkeeper, Utah Rivers Council, and the Glen Canyon Institute outlined nine recommendations they say could prevent the continued over-consumption of the river. The recommendations include preventing new dams and diversions, sharing water cuts among states, improving data on river hydrology, and modifying existing infrastructure like the Glen Canyon Dam to adapt to lower stream flows.
The groups warn that the river has already lost nearly 20% of its natural flows in the past quarter century, and could lose another 20% in the coming decades due to chronic overuse, drought, and climate change. With states remaining deeply divided on how to manage the crisis, the coalition is urging decisive action to confront the "hydrologic realities and the legal realities" facing the Colorado River.
"Things are so tense right now, nobody wants to upset the other side," said Kyle Roerink, the executive director of the Great Basin Water Network. "We're really getting down to the wire."
