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Paying farmers to reduce water use is cost-effective for Colorado River conservation.

Agricultural conservation costs $417 per acre-foot, cheaper than infrastructure projects at $2,400.

Upper Basin states receive less federal funding than Lower Basin states for water projects.

Editor's note : This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative , a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake .

LAS VEGAS — The most cost-effective and quickest way to conserve the Colorado River's shrinking water supply amid persistent drought and rapid population growth is changing how states handle the largest use of water on the riv

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