PHOENIX — Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema conducted a meeting with her Water Advisory Council to discuss the distribution of the more than $13 billion in drought relief and Western water funding Sinema secured in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law and the Inflation Reduction law. Following the Senator’s leadership in securing $4 billion in drought resiliency funding, the Gila River Indian Community offered 750,000 acre-feet of water conservation over the next three years.
The group’s meeting follows its launch at the Hoover Dam in August and its inaugural meeting last month, and comes as the Bureau of Reclamation details next steps for the disbursement of drought mitigation funds included in the Inflation Reduction law.
“Our Water Advisory Council is made up of water advocates, stakeholders, and experts of diverse backgrounds all united in one common goal: securing our state’s water future. Today we made important progress with the Gila River Indian Community’s announcement to offer increased water conservation. We’ll keep working together to devise short and long-term solutions to protect Arizona’s water supply, ensuring our state thrives for generations to come,” said Sinema.
“We are making a major statement today of our commitment to work with Reclamation and the United States as a full partner in addressing our common crisis, and I will be reaching out to my fellow Arizona leaders in the coming days to see how we can all work together on this critical effort. I specifically chose the meeting of Senator Sinema’s Water Advisory Task Force today as the time to make this announcement because of her strong leadership and commitment to helping our State and region address this crisis. I want to thank her for ongoing friendship, guidance and support during these past weeks and look forward to continuing our strong partnership in the coming days,” said Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis.
Sinema’s Water Advisory Council discussed the recent announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation detailing next steps for new funding opportunities from the $4 billion investment in drought mitigation Sinema secured in the Inflation Reduction law. The Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program – a new program created under the Sinema-negotiated Inflation Reduction law – will select projects for funding that mitigate drought, protect important natural resources, and ensure a reliable source of water and power for communities across Arizona.
The Senator also announced $5 million from her bipartisan infrastructure law that will provide federal cost share to conduct the Verde River Sedimentation feasibility study, which would identify solutions to restore at least 46,000 acre-feet of water storage.
During the meeting, Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, a member of Sinema’s Water Advisory Council, announced that the Tribe is able to offer 250,000 acre feet of water a year, totaling 750,000 over three years, for conservation and to increase the assured water supplies of Arizona municipalities.
This is the Water Advisory Council’s third meeting in three months, representing its commitment to distribute drought relief and Western water funds efficiently and effectively.
Between Sinema’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law and the Inflation Reduction law she shaped, the Senator has secured more than $13 billion in drought relief and Western water funding – the majority, if not all, will be disbursed through the Bureau of Reclamation.
While negotiating the Inflation Reduction Act, Sinema personally ensured a $4 billion investment in drought resiliency for Arizona and the entire American West. Sinema would not support the Inflation Reduction Act without ensuring the legislation included adequate climate resources to secure Arizona’s water and economic future.
