Colorado River stakeholders tackle climate change, water rights at annual conference

(CN) — What happens when a water source that provides more than 40 million people with drinkable water runs dry? And how can that be prevented? Those are just some of the many questions attendees of the Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas grappled with Wednesday.

The Colorado River Basin connects over tens of millions of people in the Western U.S. and Mexico with water for drinking, irrigation and hydroelectricity. It supports over $1.4 trillion in economic activity and 16 million jobs.

Management of the basin — and the allocation of its resources — is incredibly complex, as it involves two countries, seven states, 30 different Native American tribes, and 20 major dams. California, Nevada, and Arizona sit in the lower basin, while Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are in the upper basin.

Environmental and development issues further complicate the management of this important water source, leaving many to wonder what will happen if it runs dry.

For 75 years, members of the nonprofit Colorado River Water Users Association — which include water agency managers, government officials, tribal leaders, and representatives from Mexico — have gathered at their annual conference to understand each other’s water situations and attempt to find solutions for water problems.

“We have a responsibility to the river itself,” Colorado River Water Users Association Chair Gene Shawcroft said during the first day of the conference Wednesday at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. “We must manage it and distribute it accordingly.”

A key issue at play with the basin and discussed Wednesday is tribal water rights.

“Indigenous people are vulnerable to a lack of access to clean water and health,” said Karletta Chief, director of the Indigenous Resilience Center at the University of Arizona. “Having tribes settle their water rights will prepare them for water extremes.”

Twelve percent of tribes don’t have access to running water, leaving them vulnerable to water access issues caused by climate change, outdated river management, and the excessive allocation of water resources.

With temperatures rising and droughts leading to historic lows in river flow, concern about the river basin is also rising among those who rely on its resources.

“Groundwater supplies 93% of all water for tribes,” Chief said. “Tribes have an urgent need to respond to climate change in a way that preserves their culture.”

The Indigenous Resilience Center aims to address environmental challenges faced by Native American tribes in the Western U.S.

“We need to model efficient systems,” said Enrique Vivoni, director at the Center for Hydrologic Innovations at Arizona State University. “We must ask ourselves numerous questions with the Colorado River. Are these models good for our region? What are the decisions and trigger points that involve the Colorado River? What’s the future temperature? What’s the precipitation?”

Arizona State University is one of many institutions tackling the issue, investing in new technologies and research to combat the problems the basin is facing.

Commitments from states like California have produced promising results, including conserving enough water to return 16 feet to Lake Mead.

Stakeholders say that key to ensuring the health of the basin for the future generations is an understanding of why the region is becoming drier, and a proactive approach to solving problems.

“It’s easy to be paralyzed by uncertainty,” Aspen Global Change Institute Research Director Julie Vano said. “But we can plan and prepare accordingly.”

The conference continues through Friday.