Rep. Neguse Leads Western Lawmakers in Forming the Congressional Colorado River Caucus

Lafayette, CO — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse, Ranking Member of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, announced the formation of the Congressional Colorado River Caucus. The Caucus is made up of a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers who each represent a state along the Colorado River Basin, with members from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The lawmakers will discuss the critical issues along the river and support the work of the Colorado River Basin states on how best to address the worsening levels of drought in the Colorado River Basin. 

Rep. Neguse, whose district includes the headwaters of the Colorado River, and other members of the federal government are actively working to address this issue, enacting significant bills that invest in drought resilience and water management. The historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes an $8.3 billion investment to address water shortages and invest in America's western water and power infrastructure. And the Inflation Reduction Act provides $4 billion in funding specifically for water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin and other areas experiencing similar levels of drought. Last year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation called on the seven basin states to agree to an emergency deal that would drastically reduce water diversions by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet per year; a consensus has yet to be reached, but negotiations are ongoing. 

“As the Representative of the headwaters of the Colorado River, I’m honored to be joined by colleagues from the Upper and Lower Basin States in launching the Congressional Colorado River Caucus. Together, and working with our colleagues in the Senate, we will collaborate with each other and state and local leaders, putting the interests of our communities above all else and working together towards our shared goal to mitigate the impacts felt by record-breaking levels of drought. We must protect the reliability and consistency of this critical water source—and we’re ready to get to work,” said Congressman Neguse. 

“I am proud to join Representative Neguse in launching the bipartisan Congressional Colorado River Caucus. Water is our most precious resource, and we must address the uncertainty caused by the severe drought that is impacting 40 million residents of Arizona and the Southwest. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues on solutions that bring together the Upper and Lower Basins and secure a strong water future for us all,” said Congressman Ciscomani. 

The Colorado River provides water for over 40 million people in the West, spanning the 7 Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The West U.S. experienced record-breaking drought conditions and water shortages, and Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s two largest reservoirs, are at less than three fourths their normal level. Colorado’s 2nd District is the home of the headwaters of the Colorado River, and more than 40% of Colorado’s water supply comes from the Colorado River. 

The caucus is co-led by Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and members include Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Dina Titus (D-NV), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Chris Stewart (R-UT), and John Curtis (R-UT). A similar effort is being led in the U.S. Senate by Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper. 

Background

Congressman Joe Neguse has long called for investments in resiliency and mitigation projects for communities impacted by recent climate-induced disasters. In July of last year, he was able to secure passage of his monumental legislative package, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, through the House of Representatives. 

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