Hickenlooper Celebrates Committee Passage of Bipartisan Water Bills, Pushes for More Funding to Address Western Drought

Three Hickenlooper-led bills passed out of committee, now head to Senate floor for full vote

Committee also discussed Colorado River, post-2026 negotiations

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, celebrated the committee passage of three of his bipartisan bills. He also spoke about the state of the Colorado River, including its current hydrologic conditions and ongoing negotiations regarding post-2026 operations, during the subsequent committee hearing held last Wednesday.

"A year like this [is] when we have to make use of every drop. We see the severity of this crisis in farms and communities across the Colorado River basin," Hickenlooper said in the hearing. "I'm grateful to [the committee] for including several priorities that benefit Colorado in today's markup, helping us manage water in the face of the severe drought we're dealing with."

Hickenlooper has consistently advocated for a seven-state agreement for post-2026 Colorado River negotiations. In the Senate, Hickenlooper convened the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus to help address the Colorado River crisis. Hickenlooper also helped secure millions in funding for water conservation projects in the West from both the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

As governor, Hickenlooper helped negotiate the 2019 Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan, which helped protect critical levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead and ensured continued compliance with the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

Several Hickenlooper-led bills passed out of committee during the markup and now head for a full vote on the Senate floor, including:

• Water Projects Navigators Act: a bipartisan bill that would establish a new program at the Bureau of Reclamation to fund grant navigators who would help states, Tribes, and rural communities secure resources for projects that improve water efficiency, reduce water consumption, and enhance ecosystem resilience.
• Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act: a bipartisan bill to help better predict and measure water supply to manage drought in the West.
• Critical Minerals Security Act: a bipartisan bill to help secure U.S. critical mineral supply chains and counter China's dominance in the industry.

Hickenlooper also questioned witness Andrea Travenick, Assistant Secretary of Water and Science for the U.S. Department of Interior, about the disparity between federal investments going towards Lower Basin and Upper Basin states during the hearing. Hickenlooper noted that the lower basin states have received over $2 billion in investments, compared with $200 million delivered to upper basin states.

"I also want to thank you for the money for the Shoshone Permanency Project. That's a big deal in Colorado, as well as other Bucket 2 projects. Still, $50 million of those Bucket 2 projects remain unfunded," Hickenloper said in the hearing. "Why aren't the investments being made in the headwaters in the Upper Basin, where in some places we really could build systemwide resilience? Governors of all states have pointed out the need for future funding to support a basin wide framework as we develop it."

Hickenlooper also noted the increased risk of wildfires to our communities due to the ongoing drought in the West. Hickenlooper leads the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act in the Senate, which will strengthen wildfire resilience by improving forest management, supporting fire-safe communities, and streamlining approvals for projects that protect communities and ecosystems from extreme wildfires.

"I would hope that the bipartisan work we have done can translate into other issues we face. I care deeply about our response to wildfire, not just because of the decades-long drought in the Colorado River Basin, but because of the way that it has affected communities, water quality, and even insurance costs in Colorado," Hickenlooper said in the hearing.

Watch the full markup and hearing HERE and HERE.

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