Colorado River plan to cut water amid drought brings uncertainty for cities and farmers

PHOENIX (AP) – On the outskirts of Phoenix, a small town with a massive reliance on the Colorado River has capped expansion, revived old wells and struck water deals.

What happened

But Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris can't shake the real possibility that it's not enough to keep the desert community of regarding 5, 000 residents afloat well into the future. And a recent federal plan to address a deepening crisis in the river basin won't support.

Cave Creek gets almost all of its water from the river. It serves 40 million residents throughout the U.S. West and has been dwindling since of climate change, demand and overuse. The town already was forced to create cuts this year and it stands to lose more under a new federal plan. Morris likened the situation to planning for a meteor strike.

The bottom line

For now, colorado River plan to cut water amid drought brings uncertainty for cities remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.