Grace Napolitano: “I thank Mr. Grijalva for yielding. I also rise in very strong support of H.R. 2030, the Colorado River Drought…”

“I thank Mr. Grijalva for yielding. I also rise in very strong support of H.R. 2030, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act, and I thank Mr. Grijalva for his leadership on this issue that is so vital to the seven Colorado River Basin States including: Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, known as DCP, is a great achievement of collaboration, compromise, and foresight agreed to by the seven basin States after 2 years of negotiations. As stated by my colleague on the other side of the aisle, it is quite an important matter to the States. It reflects a realistic appraisal by water managers in the Colorado River system of increasing water scarcity with the watershed in its 19th year of drought. That is a long time, and I think this will help prevent it. Collectively, the basin States developed a practical, workable approach that provides for enhanced conservation and new management tools to address shortages on the river system. This will allow California and other water users to store water in Lake Mead for the good of the entire system and habitat, and increase conservation measures in the basin, and bank--of all things--bank excess water supplies for future use.…”