Interior secretary says 'nobody will be happy' with Colorado River decision
Airfind news item
By Tony Davis
Published on April 7, 2026.
The United States Interior Secretary, Rick Burgum, has stated that he expects no one will be satisfied with the decision to abandon the Colorado River, which he believes will balance water rights, power generation, and water supply. These comments were part of a roundtable to discuss the benefits of mining and other private business activities on federally owned lands. The roundtable, which was held at the University of Arizona's San Xavier Underground Mining Lab, was hosted by U.S. Rep Juan Ciscomani, a Republican whose district encompasses much of Southern Arizona. Most speakers praised mining companies, ranchers, and private interests, while others criticized environmentalists for delaying federal approvals of their activities. The discussions also focused on scarcity of water supplies in the river, with predictions that the snowpack in Upper River Basin states such as Utah and Colorado is at record low levels. The federal Colorado Basin River Forecast Center predicts 22% of normal runoff into the river and its tributaries, one of the lowest totals since Lake Powell was formed by Glen Canyon Dam's construction in the 1960s. Under three of five proposals that Interior and Reclamation are now being considered for the river would result in losing 80% to 98% of its total water supply, which would significantly impact the water supply for CAP.
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