California and Arizona couldn't come to terms on a drought contingency plan for the Colorado River, compelling the Department of the Interior to act.

"Despite a last-minute frenzy of deal-making, the federal government announced that it will begin taking “protective actions” on the Colorado River," reports Lauren Sommer.
"The seven states that use the river had been trying to broker their own solution, a collective water-sharing deal, with a Jan. 31 deadline to get it done. While most states had agreed, California and Arizona couldn’t finalize the agreement in time," according to Sommer.
The failed deal and subsequent action by the federal government is set in the context of a "long-running drought" that threatens the water supply of 40 million people.
According to Sommer, the states still have some wiggle room in coming to terms before the Department of the Interior starts making calls on how to protect the river's water supply.
Previous coverage by Sommer, reported a few days before the deadline for the drought contingency plan, provides additional context and details of the process.
FULL STORY: Federal Government Steps In to Handle Colorado River Drought Crisis

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont