Representatives from seven states, tribal communities and two countries join hundreds of stakeholders in Las Vegas this week for one critical reason: water.
The 80th Colorado River Water Users Association Annual Meeting comes as the Colorado River, Southern Nevada's primary water source, faces significant drought and decline.
WATCH | Geneva Zoltek reports from the 80th Colorado River Water Users Association Annual Meeting
Currently, Lake Mead sits at just over 32% capacity.
The conference highlights not just the reality of water loss, but the difficult conversations, crossroads and cutbacks at the heart of the Colorado River's future.
Current guidelines for how the river is shared expire next year, and the seven basin states still haven't agreed on a new framework despite pressures from drought and shrinking water availability.
In fact, state negotiators failed to meet a federally-imposed November deadline to develop a plan for the resource post-2026, adding urgency to ongoing discussions.
John Entsminger, Nevada's negotiator and general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said there are challenging dynamics at play, making a solution difficult.
"Trying to square those three things, 19th-century law, 20th-century infrastructure, and 21st century climate is the huge challenge, and that's what is taking so long in these negotiations," Entsminger said.
Despite the difficulty, Entsminger says he remains optimistic about finding solutions between water users.
"What makes me hopeful and positive about the future of the Colorado River is every person walking around on this planet is made of about 60% of water, I think water is the last bipartisan issue, and I think we're gonna figure it out," Entsminger said.
Over the coming days, important discussions will continue to take place, though it remains unclear if any significant progress will be made on a seven-state solution this week.
The conference takes place against the backdrop of not just looming deadlines for river policy, but also a changing climate.
Warm and dry weather patterns, inconsistent winter precipitation to the basin and widespread drought continue to challenge water managers across the region.
