WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with Tom Buschatzke, Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, to discuss the Colorado River Basin States’ Drought Contingency Plan and next steps to secure Arizona’s water future. Mr. Buschatzke will testify to Congress this week about the details of the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan.
“Mr. Buschatzke’s hard work helped negotiate a smart, sustainable drought contingency plan for Arizona. I’ll keep working with him, local stakeholders, and my Senate colleagues to secure Arizona’s water future,” said Sinema.
The Drought Contingency Plan is a set of agreements that provide Arizona with significantly greater certainty for reliable and secure water supplies now and in the future. Specifically, the plan reduces the risk of water shortage through voluntary reductions and increased conservation.
Mr. Buschatzke led Arizona stakeholders in negotiating the Drought Contingency Plan with the six other states in the Colorado River Basin. Congress must now act to ensure the Bureau of Reclamation has authority to enter into the states’ agreement.
