NEW YORK, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The Colorado River, the water source for 40 million people across seven U.S. states and part of Mexico, is rapidly drying out, offering up what may be the first climate change impact that the country literally cannot ignore, reported Grid News on Monday.

"We really don't have a choice to fail on this," said Christopher Kuzdas, a senior water program manager with the Environmental Defense Fund. "We've got to come together and find a way to manage and govern the system differently under climate change or there's going to be catastrophic consequences for the Southwest, and I'm not overstating that."

It's also one of the rare climate disasters that government officials will be legally required to address if current trends continue, said the report.

The Supreme Court just limited the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate emissions from power plants, and U.S. President Joe Biden's legislative climate agenda remains stalled out in an obdurate Congress, it said.

"But the 1922 agreement that governs use of the Colorado along with more recent legal plans made to address diminishing resources mandate water usage cuts as river flow and lake levels fall," it added. Enditem

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