Wayne Allard: “water is a precious resource that nourishes our civilization and cultivates our society. Yet finding clean, inexpensive…”

“water is a precious resource that nourishes our civilization and cultivates our society. Yet finding clean, inexpensive water in Southeastern Colorado, can be difficult. That is why today I am introducing legislation that paves the way for expedited construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, a pipeline that will provide the small, financially strapped towns and water agencies along the Arkansas River with safe, clean, affordable water. By providing for the Federal Government to pay for 75 percent of the construction costs of the Conduit, we can put Southeastern Coloradans in the position of being able to provide themselves with the water that they so vitally need. The Conduit was originally authorized with the enactment of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in 1962. Due to Southeastern Colorado's depressed economic status and the fact that the authorizing statute lacked a cost share formula, the Conduit was never built. Until recently, the region has been fortunate enough to enjoy an economical and safe alternative to pipeline-transportation of Project Water: the Arkansas River. Sadly, the water quality in the Arkansas has seriously declined.”