The order, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by a White House official, comes as the administration plans to repeal the endangerment finding, a landmark climate ruling that determined greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health.
New treatment upgrades and cross-border agreements aim to curb decades of pollution, but long-term success will hinge on maintenance and follow-through.
With another federal deadline only weeks away and record-low snowfall further drying out the watershed, states have begun talking about whether they are prepared for litigation.
Western ski resorts and state water agencies are increasingly turning to cloud seeding as drought continues to shrink snowpack and strain water supplies across the Rockies.
The non-disclosure agreement was a major sticking point in a lively town hall that featured city officials, data center representatives and more than a hundred frustrated residents.