Seven states reach 'historic' Colorado River water conservation deal

Seven U.S. states that depend on the overused Colorado River on Monday reached agreement to cut consumption from a river that provides drinking water for 40 million people and irrigation for some of the country's most bountiful farmland.

In the agreement with the Biden administration, announced by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Arizona, California and Nevada will take 3 million acre-feet (3.7 billion cubic meters) less from the river through the end of 2026, an amount equal to 13% their allotment.

Those three make up the Lower Basin states of the century-old Colorado River Compact, which assigns water rights to them plus the four Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.