US water chief praises Colorado River deal, sees challenges

KEN RITTER Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — States in the U.S. West that have agreed to begin taking less water next month from the drought-stricken Colorado River got praise and a push for more action Thursday from the nation's top water official. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman told federal, state and local water managers that abiding by the promises they made will be crucial to ensuring that more painful cuts aren't required. The river supplies 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming as well as a $5 billion-a-year agricultural industry. "We need to be proud of what we've done," Burman told hundreds at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference at a Las Vegas Strip resort, while also warning