The official nominated to anchor a rocky Colorado River negotiation process with an impending deadline claims he was iced out by Upper Basin officials who thought he would be biased against them. “Are these basin states thinking that they’re going to be better off? The Lower Basin has advocated for basin-wide cuts that the Upper Basin isn’t keen on. At an Upper Colorado River Commission meeting on Thursday, Upper Basin state representatives expressed worry that the Lower Basin wants to prohibit the creation of more dams or diversions, hampering development. “I’m very sad for the Colorado River Basin,” he said.