LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Reaching the brink of catastrophic collapse on the Colorado River.
Southern Nevada Water Authority officials are sounding the alarm. The agency says states using water from the Colorado River are not doing enough to make cuts.
The head of the water authority says conservation negotiations between states are deadlocked.
John Enstminger sent a government document to the Department of the Interior warning that over the last two months, states are not bringing legitimate conservation plans to the table.
This comes after the federal government demanded the seven Colorado River states meet to negotiate water use and drop usage by 15 to 30 percent as Lake Mead and Lake Powell drop to their lowest levels since they were first filled.
Entsminger slammed other states saying none of the proposals came near the goal demanded and do not reduce enough water usage. The proposal hitting the highest mark was only half of what the Bureau of Reclamation is demanding.
Entminger says if they can't all get on the same page soon, it may be too late to take action.
"Eventually, mother nature is going to pick winners and losers. This isn't something you can build your way out of," said John Entsminger with the Southern Nevada Water Authority. "This isn't something you can talk your way out of. There's only so much water, and, if we can't figure out a way to share the pain, nature is going to do it for us."
Now, if the seven states can't get into the same room and figure this out themselves, Entsminger says the federal government will wade into the water fight and start making cuts of their own.
He says it would be much better if the states can make their own decisions, so he hopes everyone can come back to the table before the fed steps in force.
The Department of Interior is set to announce new operating procedures for the Colorado River basin at a press conference Tuesday morning.
