Senator welcomed the Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner and members of her Council to discuss solutions to secure Arizona’s water future
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema held her inaugural Water Advisory Council meeting, following its launch at the Hoover Dam in August. The Senator’s meeting included the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, who was on hand to discuss solutions to secure Arizona’s water future and mitigate the West’s historic drought.
“Arizona’s economic growth and prosperity depend on strengthening our state’s water supply. That is why our Council’s work is critical as we devise short and long-term solutions to protect Arizona’s water,” said Sinema.
During the Senator’s inaugural meeting, the Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner provided a presentation and took questions from the Water Advisory Council. The Council discussed paths forward as Arizona deals with an ongoing drought and responds to the Bureau of Reclamation’s recent announcement that Colorado River Basin states must dramatically conserve water to preserve critical levels at Lakes Mead and Powell.
Between Sinema’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law and the Inflation Reduction law she shaped, the Senator has secured more than $13 billion in drought relief and Western water funding – the majority, if not all, will be disbursed through the Bureau of Reclamation.
While negotiating the Inflation Reduction Act, Sinema personally ensured a $4 billion investment in drought resiliency for Arizona and the entire American West. Sinema would not support the Inflation Reduction Act without ensuring the legislation included adequate climate resources to secure Arizona’s water and economic future.