Fate of Colorado River Could Hinge on Coming Supreme Court Case

The court’s decision would force the federal government to confront the uncomfortable reality that there’s not enough water in the river for everyone.

Hugh Carey/the Colorado Sun via AP
The Colorado River passes through Grand Junction, Colorado. Hugh Carey/the Colorado Sun via AP

Later this month, the Supreme Court will hear a case in which the Colorado River water crisis will collide with centuries old treaties between America and the Navajo Nation. The case, Arizona v. Navajo Nation, hinges on the idea of implied water rights, with the Navajo position being that the American government, in promising the Navajo land for farming, also promised them the water to keep that land arable.

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