SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC) held its 312th Regular Meeting on June 26 in Salt Lake City amid worsening hydrologic forecasts and declining reservoir levels that mirror the near-crisis conditions of 2021–2022. The Commissioners from the Upper Division States — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — underscored their focus on supply-based river management, collaborative problem solving and Upper Basin’s actions and commitments to support the Colorado River system.
The Colorado River system cannot support long-term water reliability without shifting to supply-based management. The Upper Basin reaffirmed its commitment to developing a post-2026 operating framework grounded in actual hydrologic conditions. Long-term solutions must reflect the River’s true hydrology, not unrealistic demands.
“The quantification of hydrologic shortage is incredibly important. No amount of lawyering is going to fix the math problem… we must live with the river we have, not the river we want,” said Commissioner Becky Mitchell of Colorado.