US, Mexico reach deal on Colorado River water

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. and Mexico have unveiled a new agreement to preserve water for millions of households and farms that depend on the overused Colorado River. The two nations formally announced a deal Wednesday that commits the United States to invest $31.5 million in water conservation projects in Mexico. The agreement sets aside some Colorado River water for environmental restoration, and it calls on the two countries and a coalition of charitable foundations to contribute a total of $18 million for restoration, research and monitoring. Both countries agreed to work on contingency plans to deal with any shortages of water in the river amid drought and climate change. The agreement is an amendment to a 1944 treaty that governs how the U.S. and Mexico manage the river, which flows through both nations.