Lake Mead has fallen to its lowest level on record while drought tightens across the seven Colorado River Basin states, straining ranches and crops.

Arizona warns the federal Colorado River plan could bring severe water cuts and is preserving its right to take the dispute to court.

A new USGS study of 1980 to 2020 finds U.S. streams often running higher while groundwater levels keep dropping, with drying strongest across the arid West.

The United States added more than 3 million acres of irrigated farmland since 1997, but many Western states lost ground as water moved from farms to cities.

The Bureau of Reclamation raised 2026 Central Valley Project water allocations for south-of-Delta farms, cities and industry, citing better conditions.

Researchers link the 2026 western US snow drought to climate change, finding it about four times more likely and warning of more frequent droughts ahead.