Colorado River States Miss Deadline as Crisis Deepens

After the seven Colorado River Basin states failed to meet their deadline for a plan to share reduced water supplies, Audubon’s Colorado River Program Director, Jennifer Pitt, released the following statement: 

“I find it concerning that after two years of negotiations—and three decades of increasingly dwindling water supplies—the Colorado River Basin states have not come up with a plan. While I’m encouraged that the states say they have made progress, today’s river requires that we urgently put agreements and funding in place to protect the lives and communities that rely on a functioning Colorado River—today and into the future. 

“Bold, adaptive, and collaborative solutions—with input from Tribes, Mexico, states, conservation advocates, and other stakeholders—are required now for a reliable, resilient Colorado River. Each month without a clear operational framework increases risk and makes it harder to safeguard the river, communities, and habitats upon which birds depend.” 

Some 40 million people and 400 bird species depend on the Colorado River Basin. Audubon has long advocated for science-based solutions and collaborative policy-making in this river basin and will continue to push for positive outcomes for birds and their habitats.