Large Mountain West farms get Colorado River water cheap or free, worsening water scarcity.

Some large farms in the Mountain West receive federal Colorado River water at little or no cost, a practice highlighted in a new report amid worsening drought and record-low reservoir levels. The study, by the Mountain West News Bureau and environmental researchers, finds outdated water contracts and pricing fail to reflect scarcity, discouraging conservation and shifting costs to taxpayers and local agencies. Experts urge Congress and federal officials to adopt modest, scarcity-based pricing to reduce waste, fund infrastructure repairs, and ensure long-term water security in the increasingly arid West.