The Colorado River is on the verge of collapse, potentially threatening the water supply of 40 million people. But recent negotiations held by the seven U.S. states that rely on this water supply once again failed to reach an agreement to address the chronic overconsumption of water resources. These negotiations were attempting to implement a new round of sustainability measures that are set to expire in 2026. The meager measures that Lower Basin states agreed to in a 2023 deal was for a reduction of 1 million acre feet per year. This agreement fell far short of the Bureau of Reclamation’s annual goal of 2 to 4 million acre feet reductions to avoid “dead pool” in the major reservoirs of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Reaching “dead pool” means that water within the reservoirs will be trapped behind dams and downstream communities will be cut off from water and hydropower supply.
As of April 2022, these two major reservoirs were around 150 feet above dead pool levels. Today, Lake Mead is at 33% full capacity and Lake Powell is at 28%—only 50 feet above dead pool levels.
In the most recent negotiations in November, the Upper Basin states of Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah refused any mandatory cuts to their water rights, stating that they have never used the full amount allocated to them in the original 1922 Colorado River Compact, while the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada have consistently consumed more than their allotment. The federal government has given states the new deadline of Feb. 14, 2026, to come to an agreement. If they fail, the Bureau of Reclamation, which has jurisdiction over the hydropower infrastructure at risk of dead pool, will step in and implement pre-2007 annual guidelines for states, which poses challenges to long term planning by state and local government agencies.
While the depletion of surface waters within the basin is alarming, groundwater in the region is being pumped at an even more alarming rate—which is not covered in these negotiations. Aquifers in general are being depleted far faster than they can recharge, which can take thousands of years in the case of deep aquifers. Pumping of groundwater is unregulated and has resulted in 28 million acre-feet being pumped within the basin since 2003, around double the amount consumed from surface waters within the same period.
Around 79% of water resources within the Colorado River Basin go to agriculture, 90% of which irrigates crops to feed cattle. Water-intensive crops like alfalfa, other cattle feed, and cotton, in addition to water needed for direct consumption by cattle, are the largest drains on basin waters. Any serious negotiations would be focusing on drastically curtailing the largest drain on above and below ground water resources through direct funding for small farmers and strict regulations on Big Agribusiness to shift to environmentally sustainable practices.
Instead of repeating these deadlocked negotiations on water rights, states instead should hold discussions with regional farmers’ associations on how to build a sustainable agriculture system in the region since that is the root cause of the problem. But that would challenge the capitalist model of commodity food production where what is produced is what is most profitable.
Restructuring the agriculture system to grow crops and raise livestock that thrive in a drier climate is the first logical step to reducing water consumption. There are many crops that thrive in the dry climate of the West that don’t rely on irrigation, such as food crops native to the region, as well as millet, quinoa, several legume species, tomatoes, and squash, among others. Perennial grains, like Kernza, that do not need to be replanted each year, could replace annual wheat crops. Kernza’s ten-foot deep root system—like other perennial species—improves soil health and soil water retention, supplying water for plants with shallower roots to access. Perennials are also a tool for climate change mitigation through their ability to sequester carbon.
Cattle are not native to North America and consume much more water than native grazing species. While implementing sustainable grazing methods for cattle can reduce water usage, bison, which are native to the grassland ecosystems of North America, consume much less water. As a keystone species, bison are also beneficial to soil health and overall biodiversity, and enable groundwater recharge through the wallows that they dig—essentially acting as bioswales where rainwater can pool and seep into aquifers.
Shifting to regenerative organic agriculture and using dry farming and no till methods would also greatly reduce water consumption, improve soil health and aid in carbon sequestration. Many small farmers are already shifting to these methods, but Big Agribusiness profits determine much of what is grown in the region.
Another issue that negotiations should address is evaporation, which is increasing as the climate warms. Evaporation of water held in reservoirs throughout the basin accounts for 11% of water usage within the basin. Globally 7% of freshwater resources held in reservoirs are lost to evaporation. Naturally flowing rivers greatly reduce freshwater loss to evaporation. Dam removal within the Colorado River Basin would resolve the issue of evaporation and would improve biodiversity, water quality and climate resilience in the region. Any loss of energy production from hydropower could be replaced with solar and wind energy systems, which are the lowest cost and quickest to implement with the lowest environmental impact of any energy source. One can look to the success of a Native-led, decades-long struggle for dam removal along the Klamath River in northern California for what is possible. Just days after the final dam was removed, salmon returned to the river, signaling that ecological health was rebounding.
Another issue that should be discussed in water rights negotiations is the massive influx of thirsty data centers being built or proposed throughout the region. Forty percent of existing and proposed data centers are in areas already facing freshwater scarcity. Twenty-four of the largest data centers and 379 smaller ones are located within the seven Colorado River Basin states. Large data centers can consume up to five million gallons of freshwater per day, equaling the water usage of a 10,000 to 50,000 person town.
The Trump administration’s recent executive orders on AI and data centers seek to override any state regulations or restrictions on new data center construction. But communities are fighting back and successfully blocking data center construction around the country. These struggles will inevitably continue to emerge against Big Tech’s theft of water resources, skyrocketing energy costs, and climate catastrophe that will result from the unregulated rollout of AI.
Capitalist production—from agriculture to data centers to energy—will continue to undermine a livable future for humanity due to the prioritization of profits over all else. The system is unable to address root causes of the crises we face, because the causes point to the very nature of the system itself. Only a socialist planned economy that uses the resources and common wealth of society to meet the needs of the people and planet can overcome chronic problems like water scarcity that are seemingly unsolvable under the current system.
As we continue to organize against all the attacks on our communities, we must connect the dots between struggles and demand real solutions that inspire a mass movement for a livable future.
Tina Landis is the author of the book Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism.