Public is kept 'in the dark' on Colorado River talks

Negotiations aimed at solving the water source's decline are at an impasse. Environmentalists criticize a lack of information about the closed-door meetings.

- IAN JAMES

TOURISTS VISIT the Carl Hayden Visitor's Center to view the Glen Canyon Dam, which feeds Lake Powell, in Page, Ariz., in July.

The Colorado River, which provides water across the Southwest, has lost about 20% of its flow in the last quarter-century, and its depleted reservoirs continue to decline. But negotiations aimed at addressing the water shortage are at an impasse, and leaders of environmental groups say the secrecy surrounding the talks is depriving the public of an opportunity to weigh in.

Representatives of the seven states that depend on the river have been meeting regularly over the last two years trying to hash out a plan to address critical shortages after 2026, when the current rules expire. They meet in person at offices and hotels in different states, never divulging the locations.

The talks have been mired in persistent disagreement over who should have to cut back on water and by how much.

"We need more transparency, and we need more accountability," said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network. "I think if we had more of those things, we wouldn't be in the situation that we are currently in."

Roerink and leaders of five other environmental groups criticized the lack of information about the stalled negotiations, as well as the Trump administration’s handling of the situation, during a news conference Wednesday as they released a report with recommendations for solving the river’s problems.

LAKE POWELL is at a critical level as drought conditions worsen. Above, boaters enjoy the lake in July.