Senator highlighted the more than $12 billion she secured in drought relief and Western water funding, while continuing focus on a long-term, regional solution to the West’s water crisis
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with Salt River Project (SRP) leaders to discuss her work strengthening Arizona’s water future and the need for a long-term, regional plan that addresses all aspects of the American West’s historic drought conditions.
Since she last met with SRP leaders in May 2022, Sinema has personally secured an additional $4 billion investment in drought resilience in the Inflation Reduction law – on top of the more than $8 billion in Western water infrastructure from her historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.
“As we focus on forming a long-term plan to secure our water future, I’m grateful for the partnership and expertise of the folks at Salt River Project. We share a strong commitment to strengthening our water resilience for generations of Arizonans to come,” said Sinema.
The meeting comes on the heels of a proposal from six of the seven Basin States to continue in a collaborative process to find lasting solutions to the Colorado River drought crisis. Sinema voiced her support for the collaborative effort and called on California to join the rest of the states.
In October 2022, Sinema announced that $5 million from her bipartisan infrastructure law would be used to conduct a study to restore at least 46,000 acre-feet of water storage along the Verde River — a top priority for SRP that Sinema is responsible for achieving.
Sinema has been actively working with partners in Arizona and across the West to identify solutions helping mitigate the impact of Western drought in Arizona. In the meeting, the Senator vowed to continue bringing willing and committed partners like SRP together to deliver lasting solutions strengthening the region’s water security.
Last year, Sinema launched a Water Advisory Council of Arizona water experts from agriculture, tribal, conservation, academic, and business communities across Arizona to help advise the Senator on water issues and form a lasting regional plan that mitigates the historic drought conditions in the American West. In October, Sinema convened her third Water Advisory Council meeting, during which members of the Council discussed next steps for new funding opportunities from the $4 billion investment in drought mitigation Sinema personally secured in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Between Sinema’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law and the Inflation Reduction law she shaped, the Senator has secured more than $13 billion in drought relief and Western water funding. The Senator has regularly met with farmers, stakeholders, irrigation groups, tribal leaders and her Water Advisory Council to ensure the funding is implemented efficiently and effectively.