PHX Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC – On May 22, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), a member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, applauded the announcement that the seven Colorado River Basin states have agreed to the submission of a Lower Basin, consensus-based system conservation proposal.  

“I commend our state’s water managers and negotiators for finalizing a deal that protects the Colorado River system, said Rep. Gallego. “Thanks to their efforts, Arizona will have a more stable water system and a chance to rebuild our reservoirs for the coming years. With a plan now in place, I look forward to keeping up the momentum of pushing for solutions to conserve our state’s water and ensuring Arizonans receive the water allocations they rightfully deserve.”  

The consensus-based proposal would reduce Colorado River water allocations by 3 million-acre-feet through the end of 2026 - 2.3 million-acre-feet of which would be compensated by funding from the historic Inflation Reduction Act. In response to this new proposal, Reclamation has temporarily withdrawn the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) released last month and has announced it will review the proposal and issue an updated Draft SEIS.

Protecting Arizona’s water and fighting for a fair deal for the Colorado River is a top priority for Rep. Gallego. He has called on Reclamation to remember Arizona’s leadership in water conservation and touted Arizona voluntary cutbacks, urging neighboring states to do the same.

Last week, he introduced the bipartisan Water Infrastructure Modernization Act to spur investments in smart technologies that conserve water.

Earlier this month, he met with members of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD) to discuss the ongoing negotiations concerning Arizona’s water allocation from the Colorado River Basin. He also visited Mohave County, where he met with officials from the Bureau of Reclamation, local officials, and business leaders to discuss the Western water crisis.

In April, Rep. Gallego hosted a round table with officials from Parker and Yuma, Arizona, to discuss the ongoing Western water crisis and its effect on famers and agriculture. He also commemorated a system conservation agreement and $83 million for a reclaimed water pipeline project that will generate up to 125,000 acre-feet of system conservation water in just this year.  

In February, Rep. Gallego called on the Department of Agriculture to hold accountable foreign-owned farms. Last Congress, he introduced the Domestic Water Protection Act which aimed to stop the abuse of water resources by foreign governments in drought-stricken states like Arizona.

Also in February, he announced that $128 Million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was heading to Arizona to settle Indian water rights claims. 

Issues: Energy and Environment

Original source can be found here.