Farmers, cities, states debate water rights as

river's supply dwindles

By Tribune Content Agency, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.17.15
Word Count 528
Level 660L

Pedro Figueroa irrigates a cotton field in Yuma, Arizona, in the spring. Seven states depend on water from the Colorado River, and a debate
is brewing over the future of water rights. Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS

YUMA, Ariz. — The Colorado River is an important source of water for the Southwest. It waters
the farms that grow most of the greens Americans eat. If you eat salads in winter, some of the
greens probably came from the city of Yuma.

The government takes care of the river. It built canals to take its water to farms. It built dams on
the river to make electricity.

People in seven states get their water from the Colorado River. They need the river. Unfortunately,
they cannot depend on the river forever. The area has been hit by a drought. There has not been
enough rain or snow for 16 years. Government officials say soon, they will have to cut back the
water supply.

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River Takes Water To Farms, Dams, Cities

Few rivers work as hard as the Colorado. It takes water to ranches in Colorado and cities in that
state, like Denver. Las Vegas and parts of Nevada get almost all of their water from the river. The
Hoover Dam turns its water flow into electricity.

Arizona would suffer the worst if the water is cut back. Cities like Phoenix may have to stop putting
up as many new buildings. The farmers in Yuma may not suffer though. The water rules are in
their favor.

The drought has everyone talking. People all want the water from the Colorado. Arizona shares its
water with six other states. California would not suffer right away. It made a deal with Arizona in
1968. The deal means Arizona cities could get much less water, but Yuma would be fine. Farms in
Yuma have the oldest water rights in Arizona. It gives them the right to more water than Phoenix
and Tucson.

Yuma Farmers Worried About The Future

All the talk bothers the farmers in Yuma. They know they have rights to the water but worry that
government leaders will not defend them. The farmers feel they have a target on their backs, and
they are right, said Tom Buschatzke. He is in charge of water in Arizona.

The farmers say they will not go quietly. Their families were here before the big cities of the
Southwest were built.

Mark Smith is a farmer in Yuma. He said the farmers have a right to the water because they grow
greens for the whole country.

Sides Must Work Together To Solve Problem

All sides know they have to work together. Farmers in Yuma say they have cut their water use. The
farmers also say the cities were allowed to grow without worrying about how much water they
used.

Edward C. Cuming arrived in Yuma in the summer of 1902. He farmed 160 acres with water from
the river. The government improved the canals across Yuma during the 1930s. One canal is called
the Cuming Canal. The canal still runs directly in front of the fields owned by his grandson, Jim
Cuming.

Cuming said farmers were thought of as the good guys when there was plenty of water. Now they
are being called villains. Farmers are just using water to grow fruit and vegetables that the whole
country needs, Cuming said.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Write Prompt

Read the following claim.

Everyone in the area around the Colorado River must work together to protect their water
resources.

What details from the article support this claim? Think about water resources for different states,
then explain how the details support this claim.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Write Prompt

If you were going to add another picture or a chart to this article to help readers better understand
an important point, what would it be and why?

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 What is the MAIN idea of this article?

(A) The Colorado River is a very important source of water for ranches, farms and electricity.

(B) A bad drought is affecting the Colorado River and causing farmers to get angry.

(C) Farmers will have to cut their water use since people living in cities also depend on the Colorado River.

(D) Lots of people need water from the Colorado River, but there are problems because there is not enough
for everyone.

2 Look at the graph "How the water is apportioned." "Apportioned" means "divided up." Which state gets the MOST water each
year?

(A) California

(B) Colorado

(C) Arizona

(D) Nevada

3 Which of the following is the BEST summary of the section "Yuma Farmers Worried About The Future"?

(A) Farmers in Yuma believe they have a right to the water but they worry they will not be able to keep it.

(B) Farmers in Yuma believe they have a right to the water and they think the government will protect them.

(C) Farmers in Yuma believe that the government is too worried about water and it will not actually be a
problem.

(D) Farmers in Yuma believe everyone has an equal right to the water but they worry they will lose their
rights.

4 What information does the map provide that would be MOST helpful in understanding the article?

(A) It shows where in the country these states are located.

(B) It shows how the Colorado River Basin covers several states.

(C) It shows that the Colorado River flows into Mexico.

(D) It shows that the Pacific Ocean is fairly close to the Colorado River.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.