Top federal water managers are meeting with Indian tribal leaders, conservationists and officials from seven Western states that depend on water from the Colorado River.
They plan to begin hashing out rules for maximizing the overtaxed river, which was recently named the in North America.
Tuesday鈥檚 meeting in San Diego comes amid dire . In December, the federal government released a three-year study that found the river might not be able to meet the demands of a growing regional population over the next 50 years.
The river is crucial to some 40 million people in California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. Mexico also has a stake.
Amid the drought discussion, a regional environmental advocacy group has launched a that illustrates how cities, businesses and rafters use the Colorado River.
Western Resource Advocates created to showcase the Colorado River鈥檚 unique value as a source for water and outdoor recreation.
Interactive allow visitors to see how much water various cities use, as well as the location of power plants, dams and diversions and pipelines in the river basin. A discusses drought, water use restrictions, and issues affecting snowpack.
The advocates for water conservation, but says the website鈥檚 primary goal is to educate people about the river basin.
