Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2030, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act. Following a historic two-decade long drought in the Southwest, I am glad to see an effective strategy produced after years of collaboration between the seven States involved and the Federal Government. Demand for water has drastically increased over the years due to population growth, but prolonged drought has diminished water supplies. As the location of the headwaters for the river that supplies roughly 40 million people, Colorado plays an especially crucial role in the management of our most precious resource. This past winter brought much-needed snowpack to the region, but there is no certainty that this trend will continue in the coming years. It is important to have a contingency plan in place. Ensuring the Colorado River can meet the demands of all water users who rely on it is a shared responsibility among all of the upper and lower basin States. The drought contingency plan agreed to by the basin States will ensure continued hydropower operations and compact compliance. Now each State must work to develop a plan for meeting the obligations of the DCP. Within the State of Colorado, it will be critical that all of the stakeholders come together to shoulder the burden of a voluntary demand management program. The western slope cannot carry the entire load, nor can the front range.…”