The historical narrative of the Colorado River focuses on how to address the rapid economic development in the Lower Basin relative to the pace of economic development in the Upper Basin. The economic recovery of Colorado River Basin states from the COVID-19 disruption will turn the historical narrative on its head.
COVID-19 Economic Recovery and the Colorado River Basin: Part 2: COVID-19 and the Economies of the Colorado River Basin States
How did the Colorado River Basin states’ economic recovery from COVID-19 perform? Understanding the outcome will shape the future circumstances of the management of the Colorado River.
COVID-19 Economic Recovery and the Colorado River Basin: Part 1: The Nature of the National Economic Recovery
Almost five years ago, the US economy was on the verge of collapse. COVID-19 had crossed our borders, the economy was shutdown (although to a different extent among states) and many observers, including Hydrowonk, dusted off the history books on the 1930s Great Depression to create crystal balls about our country’s economic future.
What happened? How did the Colorado River Basin states cope? What does this mean for addressing the challenges of an over-appropriated Colorado River?
SGMA Gone Awry in Indian Wells Valley
The California Supreme Court can protect incentives for responsible groundwater management by agreeing to review an appellate court decision (Mojave Pistachios v. Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Agency) challenging Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Sustainability Plan (“GSP”). The dispute is over whether the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) allows Indian Wells Valley to eviscerate a landowner’s (Mojave Pistachios LLC) groundwater rights without due process and impose unreasonable “fees” for a speculative GSP. The future of reasonable groundwater management hangs in the balance.