Water

Since my first day of service as a U.S. Senator, I have heard from Coloradans throughout the state about the importance of keeping our water clean and available.   I share those goals and will work hard to protect our water quality and supplies for all Coloradans.

In our part of the country, water resources are scarce and, therefore, especially precious.  We all have a responsibility to protect and conserve water. It is important that Colorado water users in all basins embrace a state-wide perspective on water uses, shortages, and sharing of the resource.  In the end, we are all in this together and the interrelationships of our society and economy means the benefits of prosperity are shared.  All water uses—domestic, industrial, agricultural, and recreational—must be respected and accommodated while recognizing that the expressed full need for each probably cannot be met.  

Federal lands are often at the headwaters of the resource in Colorado, and federal land policy and management can impact downstream users.  It is important for the federal government to operate in ways that respect state water law and avoid conflicts.  I do not support renegotiation of the 1922 Colorado River Compact.

The scarcity of water in Colorado, and our reliance on water as a major component of our recreational economy, means we must strive always to protect the quality of our water resources.  That is why proper application of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act are so important.   Recent Supreme Court decisions have created confusion about the Clean Water Act, and I am hopeful that Congress can pass legislation that restores the Clean Water Act, but in a way that is not adverse to the operation of state water law.  This year, we were finally successful in getting authorization and federal funding for the start of the Arkansas Valley Conduit project in southern Colorado that will provide clean drinking water to approximately 40 cities, towns and water providers in the lower Arkansas River Valley.

Whether it be through reduced snowpack, changes in the predictability of the seasons, or a drier future, climate change could also impact the reliability and availability of water in our state.  As a state, we need to take steps now to understand the implications of climate change on our water resources so that we can prepare to meet the challenges that could be posed by global climate change.