Colorado Sun readers are sharing their questions about the Colorado River and how it ties into water issues in the state. Share your question here, and stay tuned for responses in news stories and through our Colorado River Explained series. Jared Polis and the state’s top negotiator are heading to Washington, D.C., this week to battle with other states over how the Colorado River will be managed for years to come. Colorado used about 1.9 million acre-feet of Colorado River water each year, on average, between 1971 and 2024, according to federal data.) The downstream states have promised 1.5 million acre-feet in water cuts and called for Upper Basin states to commit to some form of mandatory cutbacks.