Complex sentence: In the Southwestern United States, water scarcity was (and remains) a critical problem, and in 1969 the state of Colorado enacted a law to attempt to reorganize the procedure for legal determination of water claims within the state.
Split into simpler sentences: In the Southwestern United States, water scarcity was (and remains) a critical problem. In 1969, the state of Colorado enacted a law to attempt to reorganize the procedure for legal determination of water claims within the state.