Los Angeles
The Interior Department has cut back the flow of water from the Colorado River to California, in a last-ditch effort to force the state to conserve. Interior Secretary Gale Norton said she cracked down to get California’s farmers to share their water with Los Angeles, San Diego, and other cities. Norton urged both sides to stop draining so much of the Colorado, which is fed by runoff from the Rocky Mountains, since six other Western states also need the water. Water wars in the West have grown intense as cities struggle to keep up with explosive population growth, and farmers cling to every drop they can to irrigate crops. “Water has to move to the cities,” said environmental activist Thomas Graff, “and the only real issue now is under what terms.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Week contest: Flight fraudPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Is Trump sidelining Congress' war powers?Today's Big Question The Iran attack renews a long-running debate
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great officesFeature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
