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A Tragedy of the Commons: Efforts To Stop the Western Drought Are Themselves Drying Up

Multiple factors are contributing to a situation in which the Colorado River is approaching ‘deadpool,’ meaning the water level is so low that it no longer flows downstream at all.

AP/John Locher, file
A formerly sunken boat sits on cracked earth hundreds of feet from the shoreline of Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on May 10, 2022. AP/John Locher, file
RUSSELL PAYNE
RUSSELL PAYNE

Hopes are sagging that a Tuesday deadline looming for states to cut a deal on rights to water from the Colorado River, leading to calls for the federal government to get involved before the situation goes to worse from bad.

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RUSSELL PAYNE
RUSSELL PAYNE

Mr. Payne is a political reporter at The New York Sun. He covers a broad range of topics including New York State and New York City.

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