A big conference about the shrinking Colorado River 鈥� the main source of water for millions of people in the Southwest 鈥� began this week in Las Vegas. Discussions among dozens of scientists and government officials focused on the West鈥檚 historic drought.
The Colorado River Basin is in dire straits. Opening remarks at the Colorado River Water Users Association meeting focused on the severe and prolonged drought that鈥檚 brought two of the nation鈥檚 largest reservoirs to their lowest levels on record.
The first day of the also heard calls for more collaboration and less infighting among Western states and tribes who rely on the river. But Christopher Tabbee, a councilman for the Ute Indian Tribe, said that currently isn鈥檛 the case in his home state of Utah.
鈥淎nything that has to do with water, we鈥檝e been totally blocked out,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never been consulted on any decisions.鈥�
The Utes have treaty rights to a significant amount of Colorado River water. But Tabbee said Utah is ignoring those rights and using some of that water. A from the nonprofit environmental group Utah Rivers Council is using about half of the tribes鈥� allocated water.
鈥淭he only water left in the state of Utah is tribal water and they鈥檙e using that water, too,鈥� Tabbee said.
The Utah River Councils report also suggests that, overall, Utah and other states in the Upper Colorado River Basin are using more water than they are currently allowed. That overuse is likely to only grow as the changing climate continues to deplete river flows across the basin.
, the Utah representative for the Upper Colorado River Commission, pushed back on that report. He pointed out that Utah and other upper basin states such as Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico have made their required water deliveries to the lower basin states.
鈥淭he important thing to recognize is that this claim of overuse is not scientifically based,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don't know how we're overusing it when we have delivered more ... than what we are obligated to deliver.鈥�
Shawcroft also noted that the state has created devoted to the crisis, the Colorado River Authority, and would invite tribes to join advisory councils, which have not been formed yet. Critics have pointed out that the agency doesn鈥檛 include any tribal members on .
Across the Colorado River Basin 鈥� home to 30 federally recognized Native American tribes 鈥� tribal leaders are pushing for a more significant seat at the table in water negotiations. In October, as the White House hosted a summit of tribal nations, a group of 20 tribes within the basin wrote to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland asking for an 鈥渋ntegral role鈥� in the next round of river negotiations.
In the letter, tribal leaders said they were 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� that they鈥檒l be recognized as separate sovereigns on the same footing as states in the basin. Those 30 tribes hold rights to about a quarter of the river鈥檚 average annual flow, though many lack the infrastructure or funding to use their full allotments.
In Las Vegas on Tuesday, Becky Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, said her state is committed to involving tribes in future negotiations. Looming over this conference is the need to establish new guidelines for managing the river, as the current set of rules expires in 2026.
鈥淐reating a framework for this engagement should be the first step as the negotiations begin,鈥� Mitchell said.
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