Click to enlarge: The Colorado River Basin, shown as upper and lower basins. Upper Basin states avoid mandatory cuts — at least in the short-term — but would have to collectively conserve up to 200,000 acre-feet annually. Mark Gordon and his fellow Upper Basin state governors said in a joint statement Friday. Wyoming and the other Upper Basin states are advancing water conservation efforts to improve long-term resilience for the river system, Gebhart added. Barring a last-minute agreement among Colorado River stakeholders, the Interior is expected to issue a record of decision later this year that would put into motion a 10-year drought contingency plan.