Congresswoman Lee Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Army Corps Efforts to Combat Drought
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03), alongside Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), and Dina Titus (NV-01), introduced the Drought Resilient Infrastructure Act to provide new resources and authorities through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support communities experiencing long-term drought conditions.
Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
The Drought Resilient Infrastructure Act enables the Army Corps to prioritize water conservation or storage efforts at Corps facilities, directs the Army Corps to prioritize these conservation efforts above other Corps missions (like flood control or combating invasive species) during times of drought, and provides new Army Corps infrastructure programs to help states, counties, cities, tribes, and other water users construct projects that respond to or prevent worsening drought conditions.
“Southern Nevada continues to deal with the effects of our worst drought in centuries, and we need bold solutions to protect our precious water, natural resources, and the hardworking families who depend on them,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Our bipartisan legislation will make sure the Army Corps of Engineers is using all of their tools and resources to combat drought, upgrade our infrastructure, and boost water conservation efforts.”
“It’s no exaggeration to say the future of Arizona—and the entire American Southwest—depends on how we respond to this historic drought. Arizona communities are doing their part to conserve water, but we need the federal government to step up,” said Rep. Stanton. “Our bill makes sure Arizona communities can leverage the expertise of the Army Corps and access more federal resources to improve drought resilience.”
Background
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates more than 700 dams, maintains 900 harbors, and 12,000 miles of inland waterways. As various regions of the country experience drought conditions, the Army Corps of Engineers is well-positioned to play an important role to help better store sources of drinking water, manage navigable waterways during times of drought, and fund infrastructure improvements that help communities and water users better prepare for and respond to drought conditions. Yet in many instances, the Army Corps of Engineers lacks the necessary authorities to modify the operation of existing Corps facilities or invest in infrastructure improvements in response to drought conditions. The Drought Resilient Infrastructure Act gives the Army Corps of Engineers the necessary tools to respond to drought conditions and better manage scarce water resources.
The legislation gives the Army Corps new authorities on the areas of water conservation measures, emergency drought operations, and drought resilience projects. Additionally, the bill amends and funds existing authorities and programs to increase water supply, reduce the risk of floods and other natural hazards, and support Tribal communities.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
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