Colorado River Update: Tribes Say Colorado River Is A “Person” and “Alive”; States Want To Drain It

Hi Friends of the Colorado River,

As 2025 winds down, we are approaching Giving Tuesday and Colorado Gives Day. We are hard at work and greatly appreciate your support to continue working in December and through 2026!

First, we have an important “win” we want to share with you. For over 15 years, we’ve fought against a massive proposed pipeline project to divert water out of the Green River in Utah and pipe it across Wyoming and over to the Front Range of Colorado. The project has been called various names over the years, starting out as the “Flaming Gorge Pipeline” back in 2010.

Finally just a month ago, the Utah Supreme Court ruled against the project, which should put a final nail in its coffin. The Grand Junction Sentinel newspaper, which followed the project for all of its 15 years, covered the story and gave us some space to comment. While we weren’t in the state court case in Utah, we fought this project in every other venue, and we’re happy to see it perhaps finally be killed.

Stopping this project stops the insanity of draining even more water out of the Colorado River when the River itself is on life support. We’ll continue to keep an eye on it, jumping in the fight whenever possible.

Second, another proposed dam project we are fighting in Wyoming on the West Fork of Battle Creek in Carbon County got a setback two weeks ago when the estimated price of the project doubled. The Wyoming state legislature was hoping for a cheaper, faster project of around $80 million, but an engineering company weighed in with a bigger pricetag of $150 million. Ultimately, we think the project will cost double that — likely near $300 million — if it ever comes to fruition.

This dam project is a terrible idea and would only benefit a handful of ranchers in the area as well as damming the headwaters of the Little Snake River which flows into the Yampa River in Colorado. We are watching this project like a Labrador Retriever watches you eating a steak. Stay tuned as we jump into action if they ever start a permitting process.

Third, the MADNESS on the Colorado River continues to escalate. Negotiators from the 7 Colorado River states completely blew off a Nov. 7th “deadline” from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to create a new management plan for America’s two biggest reservoirs, Mead and Powell. Lo and behold, the Bureau then announced, “oh nevermind about the deadline. We’ll give you to February to come up with a plan.” Such is the craziness surrounding this whole process.

We continue to stick our nose under the camel’s tent, sniffing around for clues on how to better protect the ecological health of the River through the entire process. Stay tuned as we keep you apprised of any opportunity for the public to weigh in, which may not even happen.

Finally, one of the more interesting and hopeful developments along the Colorado River this month has come from the Colorado River Indian Tribes, a reservation near Parker, Arizona. The Tribal Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution giving the Colorado River as it flows through the reservation “personhood” status.

Much like a “Rights of Nature” resolution, the personhood status allows the Tribes to dramatically raise the stakes in how the River is managed. In fact, Amelia Flores is the chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and she stated in a newspaper: “I have been asked whether an action under tribal law can affect how seven Basin States and the federal government do business. The answer is absolutely, yes!”

We are delighted to see these Tribes say that the River is a person, and we fully agree that the River is alive which aligns with our Rights of Nature for Rivers program. We even put out a press release titled, ” States Argue About Who Gets to Drain The Colorado River While Tribes Grant It ‘Personhood’.” The stark difference between arguing about who gets to drain the River dry versus declaring the River a ‘person’ that is ‘alive’ reflects dramatically different worldviews. We are fully on the side of the Tribes!

Stay tuned for all the news and action.

It’s your support that keeps us working hard — you can donate online here.

Gary Wockner, Director, Save The Colorado