Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Support Colorado River Drought Response In Budget

Letter

Dear President Obama,

As Representatives of the Colorado River Water Basin, we are deeply concerned about the severe and sustained drought conditions that are threatening the ecology and economy of our region. Water districts from Denver to Los Angeles are coming together and investing in conservation programs to combat drought conditions and ensure both clean water availability and continued energy generation to millions. As you prepare your Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2015, we urge you to include funding to assist these communities in their efforts to conserve waters in the Basin.

Forty million Americans depend on the Colorado River for water, and those numbers could double in the next 40 years. Severe drought conditions, unrivaled in more than a millennia, have impacted our region for over 13 years, causing significant water level reductions and decreased flows into Lake Powell, the main reservoir and major energy supplier for the Upper Colorado River states, and Lake Mead which is the main source of water for Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. The Bureau of Reclamation has announced that, for the first time ever, flows into Lake Mead will be reduced in 2014. Continued threats to the water supply could lead to water rationing in the Lower Basin and other extreme responses to this crisis.

We ask that you demonstrate your commitment to the conservation initiatives being devised by the Nevada, Arizona, California, and Colorado water districts by including resources in your Budget Request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2015 to combat the situation in the Colorado River Basin. We stand ready to work with the Administration, our state and local governments, and water districts to protect this vital lifeline for generations to come.

We thank you for your attention to this request and for your continued support of the Colorado River Basin.

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