Colorado River negotiations crumble as another deadline passes by

Seven states that depend on the Colorado River left the negotiating table Friday without a deal on how to share a shrinking water supply.

By: Annie Knox

Outlets: Utah News Dispatch

Published: February 14, 2026

Words: 743

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 6 days ago

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Seven states drawing water from the Colorado River for drinking, farming and electricity walked away from the negotiating table Friday without a deal on how to share the dwindling water supply starting next year.

Negotiators spent months trying to close an expansive divide between the upstream states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, and the downstream states of Arizona, California and Nevada. On Friday, they told reporters it wasn’t going to happen before …

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