Located on the outskirts of Phoenix, a small town hugely reliant on the Colorado River<\/a> has restricted development, reopened disused wells and negotiated new water agreements.<\/p>\n Yet Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris fears these efforts will prove insufficient to sustain the desert enclave of roughly 5,000 residents long into the future. Furthermore, a recent federal initiative intended to tackle the worsening crisis across the river basin will offer no help.<\/p>\n Cave Creek draws almost all its supply from the river, which provides water to 40 million people across the US West but has been shrinking due to climate change, demand and excessive use. The town was compelled to reduce consumption this year and stands to lose even more under the new federal proposal.<\/p>\n Morris likened the situation to planning for a meteor strike.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see it coming, but you can’t get out of the way and you don’t know what the damage is going to be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The uncertainty stretches across seven U.S. states, tribal nations and Mexico. Farmers<\/a> are deciding which crops are worth the investment. Phoenix could lose some municipal and industrial water for the first time and turn to backup supplies. And residents could face even more costly water.<\/p>\n Nevada<\/a> raised the stakes this week by suing the Interior Department and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, saying basic needs in the Las Vegas region will go unmet if the area has to absorb planned reductions of up to 70% of its Colorado River water in the next decade. <\/p>\n The bureau said Thursday it does not comment on litigation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe uncertainty is going to continue to build in the wrong direction,\u201d said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona<\/a> Department of Water Resources.<\/p>\n Western reservoirs see record lows <\/p>\n In the U.S. West, water is stored primarily in reservoirs, aquifers and snowpacks. But a record snow drought<\/a> means there’s far less water to recharge those sources.<\/p>\n The two largest reservoirs in the country serve as barometers of health for the Colorado River system: Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Both hit record lows this month.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Colorado_River_Drought_9_943.jpg\")
A person stands at an overlook near the Wahweap Marina on Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Colorado_River_Drought_33549.jpg\")
Tom Brundy looks over his field that is being prepared for planting near Calexico, California (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)<\/p>\n