This article about water rights from the Colorado River and Wyoming is worth reading. Changing the laws, halting sprawl, and preventing needless water waste downstream are all aspects of what I was trying to get at and have for some time. In places that are dependent on natural resources, they have, because of manipulation, they cannot continue to support, in many cases, unregulated population expansion. It is time to post a no-vacancy notice in many places in the West.
Wyoming's population growth will continue to be slow because of its harsh environment. But the water it does have is being manipulated downstream.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/12/21/wyoming-getting-screwed-in-colorado-river-pact-too-many-people-using-wyoming-water-observers-say/