CO River Caucus Vice-Chair Susie Lee Applauds Historic Agreement Reached By Lower Basin States

WASHINGTON– Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) released the following statement in response to breaking news that California, Arizona, and Nevada have come to a historic, voluntary agreement to conserve 3 million additional acre-feet of water over the next three years after nearly a year of negotiations:

"This deal is historic. Nearly 40 million people depend on the Colorado River for drinking water, and over a million depend on the electricity generated by the Hoover Dam. With Lake Mead at less than 30 percent capacity, the future of the Colorado River Basin remains uncertain. Continued collective action is not just a nicety — it's a necessity. Today's deal is one of the strongest collective actions that the Basin States have taken in combating the Western water crisis. I applaud our state negotiators and federal officials for their tireless efforts throughout the past year to reach this consensus."

As Vice-Chair of the Colorado River Caucus, Congresswoman Susie Lee has been dedicated to finding solutions to the worst drought in the American West in 12 centuries. Last Congress, Lee'sLarge-Scale Water Recycling Project Investment Act was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, alongside more than $400 million to improve Nevada's water infrastructure. This Congress, Lee has introducedbipartisan legislation to close the biggest data gap in water management andled bipartisan calls for action in the Colorado River negotiations following a series of missed deadlines.

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