SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said there is still a "divide" between California and the rest of the states that use the Colorado River; however, he's also a "little more optimistic" that all of the Colorado River states can come to an agreement on a plan to reduce water use from the drought-affected river.

The governor said that there was a "wonderful update" when the states met about the issue earlier this week, noting that it appears the biggest divide seems to be between California and Arizona, not California and the rest of the group, including Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming. Mexico also has a share of the river.

California is the only state that hasn't signed an agreement to cut Colorado River consumption. The agreement would reduce about 2 million acre-feet in the Lower Colorado River Basin, while there would be smaller reductions in the Upper Basin, including Utah, according to the Associated Press.

"I don't know if that gap is huge. ... Everyone else is pretty much in agreement on what needs to happen and when it should happen," Cox said, of the current negotiations, during his monthly press conference with Utah media outlets on Thursday. "We've always been able to figure it out as states, and I hope we can do that."

The Colorado River is a major water source for the West, accounting for about one-quarter of Utah's water supply while impacting nearly two-thirds of the state's residents, the Utah Division of Water Resources points out. It's even considered the backbone of the Wasatch Front's population growth.

Most of the water share agreements date back to the Colorado River Compact of 1922. The Beehive State is allotted 23% of the water given to the Upper Colorado Basin States, as defined by the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948.

But the states — and the federal government — have negotiated an update as drought continues to impact the river's water flow. The river's 2021 flows were about half its average natural flow of 12.3 million acre-feet, Amy Haas, executive director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, explained in a meeting about the river in October.

Related:

In the West, pressure to account for Colorado River water lost to evaporation

Exposed to the beating sun and hot dry air, more than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile powerhouse of the West flows through the region's dams, reservoirs and open-air canals.

Other states have taken notice of California's holdout, though. The Las Vegas Review-Journal, for example, published a scathing editorial Wednesday, calling California "tone-deaf" for not pledging to cut back water and calling on the federal government to intervene.

Cox did not elaborate on what the dispute between California and Arizona is, other than saying he believes California has been negotiating "in good faith." The Department of Interior announced last year that it would cut Arizona's water allotment by 21% in 2023, while reducing Nevada's share by 8% and Mexico's by 7%. It did not impose any new reductions to California at the time.

Meanwhile, the department also announced this week that it is approving $728 million in funds toward drought and other climate-related projects in the West, including $125 million toward a conservation program among the Upper Colorado River Basin states.

Cox on water optimization, Great Salt Lake

The Colorado River negotiations were one of a few water topics Cox talked about during Thursday's event. The governor said he feels "really good" about where water projects are going, despite criticism that several water-related bills have been struck down.

He said he's still confident that the Utah Legislature will approve $500 million or more on water projects, as he requested before the 2023 session. That could include as much as $200 million more toward the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's Water Optimization Program.

The funding request comes a week after the Great Salt Lake Strike Team — a group of Utah research universities and state departments — issued a report that found agriculture optimization and water leasing would offer the most efficient ways to reduce water consumption or get water to the Great Salt Lake.

Improving agriculture practices could offer "reservoirs worth of water" savings, Cox said. At the same time, he doesn't believe the program has reached its "saturation point" yet because it's run out of money each of the past two years, as farmers have sought to become more efficient with their water.

"What we also know is that you can grow it with better technology that uses much less water," he said. "We do know that farmers are going to make the biggest impact in getting water into our reservoirs and into the Great Salt Lake. That's where we get our biggest bang for our buck."

Speaking of the Great Salt Lake, Cox added that he believes Utah is close to having the "structure" needed to get water back into the lake.

The Utah Legislature could approve more funding to measure lake levels and water use. Lawmakers are also considering making a new state position that would oversee lake levels and understand water laws, so state leaders are able to know if all the efforts they are making to save the lake are working.

"We're putting the money in place, we're putting the legal structure in place but now we've got to make sure ... that the water we save actually gets to (the lake)," Cox said.

The 2023 legislative session ends on March 3.

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