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.
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