CRRG News

The 1922 Compact is Now the Obvious Elephant in the Negotiating Room

Annie Carlozzi — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 16:39:27 +0000

The 1922 Compact is Now the Obvious Elephant in the Negotiating Room Annie Carlozzi Tue, 10/07/2025 - 10:39

Eric Kuhn , Anne Castle , John Fleck , Kathryn Sorensen , Jack Schmidt , Katherine Tara

The Colorado River system is inching closer and closer to the “tripwire” in the 1922 Compact. This is the requirement that a specified volume of water pass Lee Ferry, the dividing point between the Upper and Lower Basins, every ten years. Declining flows and depletion of reservoir storage reserves, as well as the need to protect the Infrastructure of Glen Canyon Dam, are challenging our ability to operate the river system in a way that both preserves critical levels in Lakes Powell and Mead and avoids triggering the tripwire. This new paper by CRRG members Eric Kuhn, John Fleck, Jack Schmidt and Kathryn Sorensen, in collaboration with Anne Castle and Katherine Tara explains the issues, runs the numbers, and explains the conclusions. The only solution to this unavoidable conflict is a negotiated agreement among the seven Colorado River Basin states.

Read the full paper here.

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Analysis of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need For Immediate Action

Annie Carlozzi — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:49:45 +0000

Analysis of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need For Immediate Action Annie Carlozzi Thu, 09/11/2025 - 10:49

Jack Schmidt , Anne Castle , John Fleck , Eric Kuhn , Kathryn Sorensen , Katherine Tara

Water consumption in the Colorado River Basin continues to outstrip natural supply, causing steep declines in reservoir storage. This paper by CRRG members Jack Schmidt, John Fleck, Eric Kuhn, and Kathryn Sorensen, in collaboration with Anne Castle and Katherine Tara, looks at the realistically accessible amount of storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead and what happens if next year is the same as this year in terms of inflow and uses. The resulting picture is grim. In order to avoid extremely low reservoir reserves at the outset of the next set of operating guidelines, and the corresponding constraints on water use going forward, the prudent course of action is to reduce use immediately.

Read the full paper here.

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Signs of Success in Delta Restoration

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:44:38 +0000

Signs of Success in Delta Restoration Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/22/2024 - 08:44

A team of researchers including the CRRG’s Osvel Hinojosa-Huerta has recently published 2 studies in Ecological Engineering showing that efforts to restore riparian habitats in the delta have led to noticeably larger and more diverse bird populations. READ MORE

Bird community response to one decade of riparian restoration along the Colorado River delta in Mexico - ScienceDirect

Avian communities respond to plant and landscape composition in actively revegetated floodplains of the Colorado River delta in Mexico - ScienceDirect

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PBS Special on the Colorado River “Reckoning”

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

PBS Special on the Colorado River “Reckoning” Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/24/2024 - 00:00

The CRRG was well represented in a live PBS event broadcast from Hoover Dam (on July 24, 2024) focused on the Colorado River’s challenges. John Fleck and Jack Schmidt were part of a line-up that also included Bruce Babbitt, JB Hamby, Mark Kelly, Karen Kwon, Pat Mulroy, Jim Lochhead, and Heather Tanana. Video link: WATCH: Tipping Point: Colorado River Reckoning- A PBS News Special | PBS News

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Assessing the Impact of the Recent Snowmelt Season on Basin-Wide Storage

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Assessing the Impact of the Recent Snowmelt Season on Basin-Wide Storage Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/17/2024 - 00:00

The latest publication from the Center for Colorado River Studies looks back at the 2024 runoff season (mid-April to early July), observing that the basin netted only a modest bump in storage of 2.5 maf, a significant volume but much lower than the unusually wet 2023 season. However, combined with effective Upper Basin strategies to limit consumptive use of last year’s abundant runoff, net basin-wide storage increased slightly year over year.

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Study Offers an Environmental and Economic Argument in Defense of Flood Irrigation

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Study Offers an Environmental and Economic Argument in Defense of Flood Irrigation Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/13/2024 - 00:00

New research from a team at the University of Wyoming (including the CRRG’s Kristi Hansen) suggests that flood irrigation in shallow alluvial aquifers can have significant economic benefits in the Upper Green by creating return flow regimes benefitting the brown trout sport fishing economy. The work highlights the complicated site-specific relationship between efforts in agricultural water-use efficiency, and the protection of environmental and economic objectives.

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Colorado River Research Group Members Offer Post-2026 Alternative

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 19:13:53 +0000

Colorado River Research Group Members Offer Post-2026 Alternative Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/16/2024 - 13:13

Doug Kenney

Colorado River Research Group (CRRG) members Jack Schmidt, Eric Kuhn and John Fleck submitted an “alternative” to the post-2026 EIS process entitled: “Managing the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead ecosystem after 2026.” In a nutshell, the alternative suggests that the Secretary of Interior be empowered to employ an adaptive management approach allowing releases from Powell to Mead to “be optimized to meet environmental, recreational, and cultural goals while retaining an interstate accounting system that still meets water-supply objectives.”

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Water Year 2023 in Context: A Cautionary Tale

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 20:45:03 +0000

Water Year 2023 in Context: A Cautionary Tale Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/07/2023 - 13:45

Jack Schmidt

Water Year 2023 was exceptional for runoff and for boosting reservoir storage---but it isn't likely to repeat itself for the additional 3-6 years needed to refill the reservoirs to 1999 levels (the last time they were full). We need to work to conserve the gains of WY2023, as history shows that extra storage from wet periods is generally completely consumed within two years.

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Cornerstone at the Confluence Released

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:58:43 +0000

Cornerstone at the Confluence Released Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/30/2022 - 17:58

Cornerstone at the Confluence: Navigating the Colorado River Compact's Next Century is a book that leverages the centennial year to reflect on the compact and broader “Law of the River.” The book was edited by CRRG member Jason Anthony Robison; several other CRRG members contributed.

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The Vanishing River: USA's Mega Drought

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 06:00:00 +0000

The Vanishing River: USA's Mega Drought Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/12/2022 - 00:00

Australia Public Broadcasting featured Dr. Jack Schmidt with an interesting out-of-country perspective on problems currently hitting very close to home. The 30-minute program is a primer on the Colorado River's troubles.

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