Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about an issue that is extremely important to the Central Oregon economy. For over 40 years, an agreement has been out of reach in the Crooked River Basin in central Oregon on how to allocate water from the Prineville Reservoir to meet the diversity of needs. Over the last few years, Senator Wyden and I have worked with a broad group of water users in the Basin and have come to a solution.

Today, Senator Wyden and I are introducing the Crooked River Collaborative Water Security Act of 2013 that will provide a comprehensive framework for improving the management of water in the Crooked River, while creating opportunities for economic growth and new jobs in central Oregon. This is especially good news in central Oregon, a region that has been plagued with unemployment since the beginning of the Great Recession and is in need of new jobs.

This legislation is built on a broad coalition of stakeholder support. I want to thank those stakeholders who put aside preconceived notions, came to the negotiating table, and worked out a solution that could achieve such a broad range of support.

The key elements of the legislation include meeting the municipal water needs for the city of Prineville long into the future, so the city can continue to attract new businesses like the data centers of Facebook and Apple that have recently moved to the region; providing greater certainty for the agricultural community that depends on the Crooked River for irrigation and is the heart and soul of the Central Oregon economy; allowing water to be released from Bowman Dam to help maintain healthy steelhead, salmon and trout fisheries, which are cherished by local fisherman; allowing the Bowman Dam to be retrofitted to install a hydroelectric turbine and generate low-cost, clean power and create construction jobs; and creating a process to help better plan for dry years, including the impact on fish habitat and fishing, as well as boating and other recreational activities.

This bill is a comprehensive solution to a problem that has plagued the region for 40 years and it has the support of numerous groups in the Central Oregon region. The time is now for the Senate to quickly move on this bill and help the Central Oregon economy move forward.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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