Sinema’s tour and briefing at Lake Powell follows her success securing $4 billion for drought mitigation in the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act
Sinema secured more than $8 billion to strengthen Western water infrastructure in her bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law
Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema toured areas of Lake Powell to see firsthand the impacts of Arizona’s ongoing drought and received a briefing from the National Park Service (NPS) on the Lake’s low water access and its effect on the community.
Sinema’s visit to Lake Powell follows her success securing significant funding strengthening drought mitigation and resilience in the last year – including more than $8 billion in Western water infrastructure from her historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law and, most recently, an additional $4 billion in the Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
“We share Arizonans’ concerns about the historic and devastating drought and its impacts at Lake Powell. Our tour provided a sobering look at the severity of Lake Powell’s low water levels and we’ll keep working directly with Arizona experts and local leaders to implement the transformational investments we secured for our state to secure our water and economic future,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.
Sinema’s visit follows her recent conversation with Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) Superintendent William Shott, during which they discussed the continued work needed to strengthen Arizona’s water security and future. The discussion with Superintendent Shott detailed the need for efficient and effective implementation of historic funds from Sinema’s infrastructure law to ensure water certainty for Arizona.
Sinema was joined by Glen Canyon NRA Superintendent William Shott and Deputy Superintendent Michelle Kerns, along with additional NPS staff.
The lack of access to Lake Powell has had significant negative impacts on the City of Page’s economy – which relies heavily on tourists and aquatic recreational activities. Sinema has previously worked with the National Park Service, the City of Page, and the Army Corps to expedite construction on ramp extensions and other infrastructure needs as the Lake’s levels decline.
Earlier this month, Sinema secured $4 billion for drought mitigation across the American West in the Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act. Last year, Sinema co-authored and led negotiations for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law, which makes historic investments in drought resilience. Specifically, Sinema secured more than $8 billion to strengthen water infrastructure throughout the American West, such as drought contingency, dam safety, aging infrastructure, water storage, water recycling, and more. This funding includes $300 million over the next five years for water reclamation operations under the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan. Of this funding, $250 million is for the Bureau of Reclamation to create or conserve 100,000 acre feet of water annually for the Lower Colorado River Basin at Lake Mead.
Earlier this year, Sinema announced that a $82.8 million investment from her law was coming to Arizona specifically to strengthen water systems and environmental infrastructure. Additionally, Sinema announced that over $50.5 million will be invested in Arizona in 2022 for critical drought relief measures from her bipartisan infrastructure law.