What might cuts to the dwindling Colorado River mean for each basin state?

By Suman Naishadham, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration floated two ideas this week to reduce water usage from the dwindling Colorado River, which supplies 40 million people.

The 1,450-mile river is a lifeline for seven U.S. states, dozens of Native American tribes, and two states in Mexico. It irrigates nearly 5.5 million acres (about 2.2 million hectares) of farmland in the U.S. and Mexico and generates hydroelectric power used across the West.

In recent decades, drought, climate change and an imbalance between the river’s flows and how much water users are promised has forced federal officials to consider new steps.

Tuesday’s analysis from the Interior Department considers two ways to force cuts in the water supply for…