At last, states reach a Colorado River deal: Pay farmers not to farm

Photo caption: An irrigation canal carries water from the Colorado River to irrigate a farm growing leaf lettuce and broccoli near Yuma, Arizona. Photo credit: Jon G. Fuller / VWPics / Universal Images Group via Getty Images. Article by Jake Bittle. Grist – May 22, 2023.

After a year of intense negotiations, the states along the Colorado River have reached a deal to solve one of the most complex water crises in U.S. history. The solution to this byzantine conundrum is deceptive in its simplicity: pay farmers — who collectively use 80 percent of Colorado River deliveries — to give up their water. […]

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