Senator Kelly Statement on Colorado River Conservation Proposal

Today, Senator Kelly released the following statement after the Lower Colorado River Basin states, Arizona, Nevada, and California announced that they have prepared, and transmitted, a proposal for the Department of Interior that would conserve and protect the Colorado River.

“The best solution for tackling the water shortage along the Colorado River has always been for states to come together to protect the river that we all depend on,” said Senator Kelly. “This proposal is an encouraging step, made possible by the Basin states negotiations and the Department of Interior using the resources we provided through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to conserve water. I look forward to the review of this proposal and working with all partners in the Colorado River Basin to secure our water future.”

Kelly has continued to break through partisan gridlock to protect Arizona’s precious water resources. In 2022, Kelly negotiated and secured $4 billion in funding to combat historic western drought in the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which included creation of the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. As a key negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Kelly specifically secured more than $8 billion to upgrade western water infrastructure, including $250 million for the Bureau of Reclamation to create or conserve 100,000 acre-feet of water annually for the Lower Colorado River Basin at Lake Mead.