The Colorado River has been the lifeblood of the southwest for decades. The drought plagued river is at an all time low, despite heavy rainfall this winter. Now, seven states and Mexico are fighting over the cuts of water that they will get in the long term. Cal Matters states that California currently collects 4.4 million acre-feet of water each year, with 3.1 million going just to Imperial Valley.

According to CNN, the Upper Basin of the Colorado River, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, submitted their long term claims last Thursday. The Lower Basin, California, Arizona Nevada and Mexico, each submitted claims last Wednesday. They agreed that if the Colorado River’s reservoirs are under 69%, then the lower basin will take most of the cuts. If the reservoirs are under 38%, then the Lower Basin will cut over 1.5-3.9 million acre-feet. The plan goes into effect after 2026, when the previous measure expires.