Yesterday, Arizona senior Sen. Kyrsten Sinema launched her newly-formed Water Advisory Council — an assembly of Arizona water experts and key stakeholders — to develop solutions in response to Arizona’s worsening drought conditions.
Sinema hosted her Water Advisory Council’s launch and subsequent roundtable discussion at the Hoover Dam, where the group received a tour of the facility and saw the devastating effects of Arizona’s historic drought first hand. Sinema’s Water Advisory Council launch follows her success securing $4 billion for drought mitigation across the American West in the recent Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
“We’re so excited to announce our Water Advisory Council – a dedicated, knowledgeable group of Arizonans committed to working together to find solutions to our state’s ongoing drought. This partnership represents our shared dedication to securing Arizona’s water future so our state can continue to grow and thrive,” said Sinema.
Members of Sinema’s newly-launched Water Advisory Council in attendance include: Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis, Dr. Tom Buschatzke from the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Central Arizona Project General Manager Ted Cooke, Christian Stumpf of The Nature Conservancy and Arizona State University's Kyl Center for Water Policy Director Sarah Porter.
The council was established to seek feedback from water experts and stakeholders from across Arizona — including tribal and academic leaders — to develop and deliver solutions to Arizona’s ongoing drought. It comes in light of the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) announcement that Colorado River Basin states must drastically conserve water to preserve critical levels at Lakes Mead and Powell.
“Drought is an existential threat to western agriculture, especially agriculture that relies on water from the Colorado River. Arizona’s farmers are working non-stop to find ways to avoid the catastrophic consequences of drought on the Colorado River. We applaud Senator Sinema for recognizing the need to bring federal resources to the table to facilitate reductions in water use and voluntary conservation projects. Our state and nation cannot afford a crash on the Colorado River, and we are grateful for Senator Sinema’s leadership and support as we continue to find innovative solutions so we can continue producing the food and fiber on which all of us rely,” said Stefanie Smallhouse, president of the Arizona Farm Bureau.
Dan Stellar, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Arizona said: “Thank you Senator Sinema for securing $4 billion to help manage drought in Arizona and the West. Investing in projects like water recharge and reuse, voluntary system conservation and ecosystem and habitat restoration has never been more important. We look forward to working with you and all partners to make sure people and nature continue to thrive."
“Valley Partnership is grateful for Senator Sinema's leadership in securing significant funding for drought mitigation projects. Our top priority is maintaining Arizona's precious resources through investments that will enhance efficiency, increase water reuse and create water supplies for existing and future users. This includes enabling and engaging with Arizona tribes. Senator Sinema has been a key partner in these efforts and we look forward to working on innovative ways to preserve and maintain our state's future water supply,” said Cheryl Lombard, president and CEO of Valley Partnership.
The formation of Sinema’s Water Advisory Council builds on her focus of making meaningful progress addressing Arizona’s ongoing drought crisis, which is the worst it’s been in 1,200 years. This past year, Sinema secured $4 billion for drought mitigation across the American West in the Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
Last year, Sinema co-authored and led negotiations for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law, which makes historic investments in drought resilience. Specifically, Sinema secured more than $8 billion to strengthen water infrastructure throughout the American West, such as drought contingency, dam safety, aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling and more. This funding includes $300 million over the next five years for water reclamation operations under the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. Of this funding, $250 million is for the Bureau of Reclamation to create or conserve 100,000 acre feet of water annually for the Lower Colorado River Basin at Lake Mead.
On the tour of the Hoover Dam, Sinema and her Water Advisory Council saw firsthand the investments her bipartisan infrastructure law makes to fully fund the Drought Contingency Plan operations at Lake Mead.
