Sinema, Western State Senators Urge Administration to Address Drought Challenges Affecting Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Senators pressed the Administration to use National Park Service funds to solve recreational access issues worsened by record drought conditions

WASHINGTON - Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and a group of Western state Senators - including Nevada Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly - wrote a letter to National Park Service (NPS) Director Charles F. Sams III and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young urging the Administration to address drought and recreational access issues impacting Lake Mead.

"Visitors to Lake Mead play a significant role in the local economy, supporting small businesses and workers who depend on robust outdoor recreation tourism for their livelihoods. The low water levels have seriously impacted recreation, particularly with the closure of all but one boat launch ramp at the lake, putting businesses and jobs at risk," wrote the Senators.

The historically-low water levels at Lake Mead are a direct result of the decades-long megadrought impacting Arizona and the American West. The low water levels and subsequent lack of access to Lake Mead has significant negative impacts on the local economy - which relies heavily on tourism and recreational activities.

Specifically, Sinema and the group of Western Senators requested that the Administration allocate a portion of the disaster supplemental funding included in last year's annual bipartisan budget legislation to address drought conditions and lack of recreational access at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Click HERE to read the Senators' letter.

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