Sen. Kelly Urges California to Work with Colorado River Basin States to Protect River System

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly issued the following statement on a proposal released by six Colorado River basin states for managing drought in the Colorado River system.

“While today’s announcement demonstrates a good-faith effort to evaluate the tough choices facing the Colorado River basin, every state needs to come to the table and be part of a basin-wide solution. It’s unacceptable for Arizona to do the heavy lifting without meaningful cooperation from California, the largest user of water from the Colorado River. Arizona and the West depend on the Colorado River system which is why I’ll keep working to protect it,” said Senator Kelly.

Kelly, who has led and ushered into law major legislation to secure Arizona’s water future, recently spoke about the urgent need for states to find consensus on a water-sharing agreement that protects the River system while at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA). In the Senate, Kelly negotiated and secured $4 billion to combat western drought in the Inflation Reduction Act Law. Kelly has also continued to push the Biden administration to use every tool at its disposal to protect Arizona farmers, cities, tribes, and businesses from the impacts of this historic western drought.