Colorado River Report Warns Water Crisis Nears Point Of No Return

By Alan Gionet | CBS Colorado

A new report compiled by the University of Colorado’s Colorado River Research Group warns that threats to the river’s water supply are now so severe that they pose a significant risk to the water supply in seven Western states and tribal areas, potentially impacting the economy and governance.

The report is titled “Colorado River Insights 2025: Dancing with Deadpool.” It is a compilation of reports by a variety of experts looking at different aspects of high demand and supply shortages that have led to low water levels in places like Lake Powell and Lake Mead. These issues threaten both power generation and supply.

“What’s missing is urgency. The window for decisive, collaborative action is closing fast,” said Douglas Kenney, director of the Western Water Policy Program of the Getches-Wilkinson Center at the University of Colorado Law School and chair of the Colorado River Research Group.

This warning comes after more than two years of re-negotiation of a 100-year-old water use pact that sets aside water for use by Western States, native tribes, and even Mexico, missed a November deadline for cutting a deal. That deadline is now pushed back to Feb. 14, 2026.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO