05/02/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/02/2024 17:13
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced two bipartisan bills that would extend existing programs to continue important water management programs and address long-term drought in the West.
TheDrought Preparedness Act and theWater Data Improvement Actwould reauthorize current programs managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey to help secure water infrastructure, prepare drought contingency plans, and improve water monitoring.
"Time and time again, Oregon and the entire West have been hit hard by extreme drought," Wyden said. "It's not only critical that communities are better prepared to respond to droughts, but also that more is being done to prevent drought as best we can. These bills will make sure communities nationwide have water readily available to them so that their livelihoods are not diminished during and after a drought."
The Drought Preparedness Act would:
The Water Data Improvement Act would:
Text of the Drought Preparedness Act is HERE, and the Water Data Improvement Act is HERE.
Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Joe Neguse, D-Colo. The Drought Preparedness Act passed the House, and the Water Data Improvement Act has passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources.