Federal officials ordered the first-ever water cuts on the Colorado River system that sustains 40 million people, the latest blow from a decades-long drought across the U.S. West that has shrunk reservoirs to historic lows, devastated farms and set the stage for deadly forest fires.
The move will deal a harsh setback to Arizona farmers, who will suffer the largest cuts. Water deliveries to Nevada and Mexico will drop as well under a system hammered out in 2019 by the communities that rely on the river. And with the possibility of