The Colorado River system that Las Vegas relies on for life in the Mojave Desert is nearer to collapse than ever, a group of six researchers from across the basin warned in a new report.

Using a conservative approach that assumes 2026 could bring another dry winter, the authors posit a rocky future for the 40 million people whose water is the subject of intense negotiations between seven states . It’s no longer a distant concern that Nevada, California and Arizona could suffer from water delivery issues due to constraints of dam infrastructure, they argue.

That is, unless more water conservation happens quickly, said Jack Schmidt, the lead author of the report and director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.

“We are not predicting that Western civilization

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