Millions of people, including 19 million in Southern California, rely on water from the Colorado River.
But what happens if the river dries up?
Under current law, California has first dibs on much of the river’s supply, but for the first time ever, the state’s water officials are offering to give up some of the state’s strongest claims to the river – at least temporarily.
In this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC 7 San Diego’s Monica Dean and Voice of San Diego’s Ry Rivard talk about the Colorado River’s receding waters and its impact on San Diego, and dig into why the region’s water officials aren’t part of the doomsday discussion.