Congresswoman Lee Hosts 3rd Annual Water Summit, Highlights Southern Nevada Water Investments, Legislation, and Innovation

Watch video from the summit here

LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) hosted her third annual Southern Nevada Water Summit at the Springs Preserve. Alongside featured guest Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and regional water and hydropower leaders, Congresswoman Lee discussed federal investments in southern Nevada water infrastructure and a new, locally-based water sustainability startup. 

“No one knows better than a Nevadan just how precious our water resources are. In addition to the ongoing threat from climate change and drought, southern Nevada is facing new threats to essential water and hydropower investments. This uncertainty makes the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and the water infrastructure funding it supplies more important than ever,” said Colorado River Caucus Vice-Chair Congresswoman Susie Lee. “Today's water summit underscored the importance of working together to protect existing investments while fostering the kind of creative thinking and innovation that will be key to our shared future along the Colorado River.”

Congresswoman Lee hosts her Southern Nevada Water Summit each year to convene advocates and experts for an all-hands-on-deck discussion on how Nevada can meet the climate and drought crisis with the urgency it demands. This year, the summit featured panels centered on the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), the landmark law supporting southern Nevada’s water priorities; the bipartisan, bicameral Help Hoover Dam Act and the challenges facing the Hoover Dam as it nears its centennial; and WAVR Technologies Inc., a newly launched UNLV startup with a pioneering approach to atmospherically-sourced water.

Congresswoman Lee was joined by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto; Southern Nevada Water Authority Deputy General Manager Colby Pellegrino; representatives from the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, including Director of Hydropower Gail Bates, Senior Assistant Director Sara Price, and Chairwoman Puoy Premsrirut; and CEO and co-founder of WAVR Technologies, Rich Sloan.

“This partnership at the federal, state, and local level is how we implement water policy that works for the people of Nevada — by collaborating and communicating about what our state needs. That’s what I did when drafting the Clark County Lands Bill, bringing together local stakeholders from across the county to craft policy that makes sense and protects Nevadans’ interests,” said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “With wildfires becoming more frequent and drought becoming more severe, I am committed to continuing to work with Congresswoman Lee and our partners in Nevada to keep our homes and businesses supplied with water.” 

“It’s imperative that we bring the key players together to have the dialogue and do the planning to ensure the stability of our freshwater resources. That’s why the Southern Nevada Water Summit was such a great event. Everyone in one room, getting informed and getting aligned,” said Rich Sloan, CEO and Co-Founder, WAVR Technologies Inc. “WAVR was thrilled to participate this year. This summit demonstrates that the power players understand the key role of innovation in securing our community’s future as it relates to water.”

Lee’s work to protect southern Nevada’s water:

• Lee helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act — the most significant action on the climate crisis in our history, including $4 billion in investments specifically for water conservation along the Colorado River Basin.
• Lee’s Large-Scale Water Recycling Project Investment Act was signed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• Lee secured a pair of provisions in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 to improve Laughlin’s water system and enhance the Las Vegas Wash program.
• This Congress, Lee fought to defeat proposals to sell Nevada’s public lands and send the proceeds back to Washington to offset permanent tax breaks to billionaires.
  • Since 1998, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) has ensured that the revenue from federal land sales in Southern Nevada stays in the state. 10 percent of SNPLMA funds go directly to SNWA — and, to date, SNPLMA has generated more than $368 million to fund Nevada’s water priorities and infrastructure needs.
• Lee is co-championing a lands bill with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto that would enable Clark County to responsibly pursue new development across the next half-century while maintaining and building upon SNPLMA.
• Lee and Cortez Masto are also working together to advance the Help Hoover Dam Act — a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would recover more than $50 million in stranded funding for the dam from an orphaned federal account.

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