Legislation now heads to president’s desk
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and Representative Joe Neguse celebrated passage of their bipartisan Drought Preparedness Act and Water Data Improvement Act.
“More than 40 million people rely on the Colorado River for water, food, recreation, and energy,” said Hickenlooper. “Our communities, our farms, our environment, all depend on water. These bills extend the programs that we know already work. At risk is our entire way of life.”
“By bringing these bills across the finish line and to the President’s desk, we are showing what happens when lawmakers roll up their sleeves, work together, and put the interests of our communities above all else,” said Neguse. “Droughts threaten our water supplies, devastate our crops, and have countless other impacts on the daily lives of folks who call Colorado and the American West home. And I am so incredibly proud to see our proposals to address the severe impacts of record-breaking drought get enacted into law.”
The Drought Preparedness Act would:
- Reauthorize the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act through 2028
- Continue authorities for DOI to prepare drought contingency plans and provide technical assistance to State, local, and Tribal governments on their drought contingency plans
- Maintain authorities for DOI loans to water users for drought mitigation projects
- Support emergency response actions to minimize damages from drought
The Water Data Improvement Act would:
- Support the National Groundwater Resources Monitoring Network, which promotes collaborative groundwater monitoring between federal, state, and local programs, by reauthorizing the program at $4 million annually
- Reauthorize the National Streamflow Information Program at $10 million annually to help monitor water levels
- Improve water estimation and monitoring technologies by reauthorizing the grant programs for agencies, academic institutions, and private entities to develop and implement new methodologies and technologies
- Improve collaboration between DOI and other federal and state agencies to streamline and centralize water data collection systems and water supply forecasting techniques
As governor, Hickenlooper helped negotiate the Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan which sought to manage demand in order to maintain Lake Powell and Lake Mead levels, ensure compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact, and stave off mandatory cuts from the Bureau of Reclamation.
In the Senate, Hickenlooper has convened bipartisan discussions among the Colorado River Basin senators to discuss common sense solutions to help address the Colorado River crisis. In August 2022, Hickenlooper played an instrumental role passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which secured $4 billion to address drought in the American West by funding water conservation, habitat restoration and drought mitigation efforts.
Text of the Drought Preparedness Act available HERE and the Water Data Improvement Act is available HERE.
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