“The time of grandstanding and rhetoric has passed. The river will not wait for us.”

Andrea Travnicek, assistant secretary of water and science, delivering a keynote address as seven Western states race to reach a deal over the future of the Colorado River. Her remarks underscored the urgency facing negotiators working toward a Feb. 14 deadline to secure water supplies for roughly 40 million people amid prolonged drought and mounting interstate tensions. (Union-Bulletin)