The Colorado River connects a complex network of communities, economies and landscapes from the headwaters of the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California.

It provides water for more than 35 million people, hydropower, millions of acres of farms and ranchland, and key environmental resources, while also supporting more than a $1 trillion economy and serving as home to 30 federally recognized tribes.

Yet today, our vital Colorado River network is at a perilous tipping point.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s August 24-month study, released on Aug. 15, reinforces what we already know: After more than two decades of persistent drought, declining snowpack and rising temperatures, the Colorado River faces a historic and growing imbalance between water supply and demand.

Reservoirs like Lakes Mead and Powell are again approaching record lows, and every water user is being affected.

Communities face severe water cuts,........

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