A group of bipartisan House of Representatives lawmakers are forming a “Congressional Colorado River Caucus” in an attempt to address worsening drought conditions across the Colorado River Basin states.
“Together, and working with our colleagues in the Senate, we will collaborate with each other and state and local leaders, putting the interests of our communities above all else and working together towards our shared goal to mitigate the impacts felt by record-breaking levels of drought,” said Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) in a statement.
The lawmakers plan to discuss critical issues affecting the Colorado River, which provides water for over 40 million people in the West and spans across the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
The country’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at less than three-quarters full of their normal level amid record-breaking drought conditions and water shortages, the lawmakers said.
