Udall: Colorado River Basin Study Shows Need for Innovative Approach to Water, Lays Out Options
Mark Udall welcomed today the Bureau of Reclamation's Colorado River Supply and Demand Study, saying it shows the need for Colorado and the West to explore innovative ways to better manage water to meet the rising demand throughout the West.
"From our earliest days through today, the Colorado River has run through our state and the lives of countless Westerners," Udall said. "This report underlines that we must find creative and innovative ways to meet growing residential, agricultural and industrial demands for water while respecting the Law of the River. The report lays out a variety of options to address projected water shortfalls in the basin – shortfalls driven, in part, by climate change – and I commend the Bureau of Reclamation and the seven basin states for their work. I look forward to working with the states, the administration, Congress and others to determine our next steps."
Udall has been a strong advocate for upholding and protecting Colorado's interstate water compacts and federal decrees. Udall, who serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, also has been a vocal supporter of maintaining federal funding for programs like the Emergency Watershed Protection program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which are used to improve Colorado’s watersheds and waterways.
Earlier this month, Udall praised a joint agreement between the United States and Mexico, in cooperation with the seven Colorado River Basin states, to better manage the Colorado River, meeting growing demand along the waterway and promoting environmental restoration.