Wyden Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Bills to Help Oregon Respond to Severe Drought, Improve Water Access and Infrastructure
With video: While chairing hearing, Water and Power Subcommittee Chair Wyden highlights the urgent need for a coordinated approach to ending water access problems, his Water for Conservation and Farming Act, the Watershed Results Act, and the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act
Washington, D.C. – This week, Water and Power Subcommittee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., held a hearing on the importance of several bills that would help communities in Oregon and across the West respond to severe drought, improve water access for agriculture and conservation, and implement watershed restoration projects.
“In Oregon, communities throughout the state, including the Klamath and Deschutes Basin, are suffering through another serious drought year – now being made worse with the threats of wildfires and extreme heat. As these pressures continue to mount, it’s essential to get a lot more high-impact water projects on the ground, and fast,” Wyden said in his opening remarks during the hearing. “I have been all over my state talking with farmers and rural communities about what resources they need to respond to these extreme weather events and these bills aim to tackle the drought concerns head on.”
The Water and Power Subcommittee – a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee – held a hearing this week on Wyden’s Water for Conservation and Farming Act, the Watershed Results Act, and the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act. This hearing is a key step to full Senate consideration. Chair Wyden also signaled that a coordinated approach between Senate Committees addressing water access issues across the nation is also needed.
“As our summers continue to get hotter and drier, we have to make sure that we have reliable, resilient water infrastructure that every farmer, Tribe, and community in our state can count on,” said Merkley, a co-sponsor of the Water for Conservation and Farming Act, which includes his Deschutes River Conservancy Reauthorization Act, and Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act. “This hearing is a critical step forward in helping to deliver crucial investments for environmental protections and put safe water access within reach for everyone, regardless of where they live.”
During the hearing, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton testified to the value of the suite of tools provided by the Water for Conservation and Farming Act to respond to drought in the West. She also acknowledged that the expanded authorities in Wyden’s Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act would help with Basin restoration efforts and “provide certainty to our water users.”
The Water for Conservation and Farming Act would help communities in Oregon and nationwide better plan and prepare for the increased demand for clean water by funding projects that improve dam safety, create more resilient watersheds, and benefit agricultural and urban water users.
The Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement Support Act would address the needs of communities in the Klamath Basin by authorizing programs that conserve water, reduce or avoid impacts to fish and restore habitat in the Klamath Basin.
The Watershed Results Act would use the best available science and expertise to identify and implement the most cost-effective and high-impact restoration activities for watersheds in Oregon and nationwide.
###
Press Contact: Nicole L'Esperance
Next Article Previous Article
