In the decade since the devastating 2016 floods that cost 23 people their lives, West Virginia has seen the number of flooding events in the state more than double compared to the 10 years before.
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming are resisting the deal because it would allow the Navajo and Hopi to lease water to cities downstream, likely the growing towns around Phoenix.
The state’s growing population, existing infrastructure and swaths of developable land have drawn the industry’s interest, much to the dismay of rural communities.
