Western states floated a Colorado River deal. What happens after the Band-Aid comes off?

After months of contentious negotiations, missed deadlines and dueling proposals, California and six other states that rely on water from the Colorado River reached an agreement this week to cut back on how much they take from the beleaguered water source. Under their proposed terms, California, Arizona and Nevada would agree to reduce water use by 3 million acre-feet between now and the end of 2026 — or 1 million acre-feet per year on average.