This story was updated at 4:40 EST.
In a bid to end an impasse in Colorado River negotiations, the Biden administration Wednesday unveiled a series of proposals to manage the drought-stricken river in the years ahead — although whether the proposals are sufficiently aggressive to force action remains to be seen.
Negotiators for the seven states that share the Colorado River Basin have gridlocked in recent months over how to share dwindling supplies in the river and, crucially, which states would take the largest share of the cuts.
A series of existing agreements that govern the Colorado River will expire at the end of 2026, including provisions that govern reductions when the waterway’s flows are insufficient to meet the needs of the 40 million individuals and 5.5 million acres of farmland that rely on it.
