The Colorado River is a reflection of who we are as a society. And what is staring at us in the mirror is not pretty.
There is not water available for more development on the Colorado River. But Congress is taking dangerous action on proposals that will take the river to places it has never been.
By now, many of you have likely heard about an effort by Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei and Utah Congresswoman Celeste Maloy to sell off public lands as part of an effort to raise money for the “big, beautiful bill” that extends the 2017 tax cuts passed during President Trump’s first term.
The Republicans’ amendment would allow auctions on tens of thousands of now-federal acres throughout Nevada and Utah in places that rely on the Colorado River System and its tributaries. The proceeds of those land sales would be used to offset the deficit that the tax cut extension creates.
The tag-team effort from Amodei and Maloy is the subject of much controversy and upheaval from Westerners of all stripes. Some members of Congress, NGOs and citizens are outraged. But, as expected, others are elated.
The provision gives developers in Nevada and Utah something that they’ve wanted for a long time: access to currently unavailable lands. In Nevada, the amendment upends the long-standing traditions of selling off public land in the quid-pro-quo vein. In other words, Nevada would no longer get a special cut of the take on the sales via the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act. Instead, all the proceeds will go to the treasury to pay for the tax cuts.
No matter how you view the imbroglio, Amodei and Maloy must not have looked at the elevations at Lakes Mead and Powell before submitting their amendment. Both reservoirs are hovering at 30 percent. And many scientists believe that the river system’s outputs are going to be greatly reduced in the coming years due to the forces of aridity.
The implications of this legislative effort, which cleared another procedural hurdle on Sunday night, are non-negligible for the western water supply.
For Nevada, the amendment will clear the way for sprawl along the I-15 Corridor all the way to the California border. There is no meaningful supply of groundwater there to meet those developmental needs. Indeed, the potential real estate boom requires new pipelines carrying the Colorado River. But there’s more to consider.
GBWN, Living Rivers and the Center for Biological Diversity alerted the press and public before any other NGO about a provision in the amendment that would benefit the Lake Powell Pipeline — a project that would suck 28 billion gallons annually away from the nation’s second largest reservoir. That means less water flowing to Lake Mead. See the story by Alan Halaly in the Review Journal.
For Maloy, this is a huge win if it passes. If the provision clears the House, moves through the Senate, and gets President Trump’s signature, it will bring Utah one step closer to harnessing more of its paper water rights on the Colorado River System. While it doesn’t automatically green-light the pipeline, it does remove permitting barriers for Utah. The amendment is guaranteed to do this, however: It will strain negotiations and expedite conflict among the seven Colorado River dependent states.
Amodei’s constituents, ironically, don’t rely on the Colorado River because Southern Nevada isn’t a part of his congressional district. But for a man who professes to care for Nevada, his amendment would be a Pyrrhic victory for the millions of Nevadans who do rely on the beleaguered river.
Amodei told reporter Sam Shad on Nevada Newsmakers that he didn’t confer with his Southern Nevada colleagues in Congress before introducing the amendment. Maybe one of them would have mentioned to the northern Nevada congressman something about the situation at Lake Mead and the implications of passing a bill to support the Lake Powell Pipeline. Maybe someone would have recalled Las Vegas’ water officials submitting pretty stern comments during Lake Powell Pipeline’s failed attempt at federal permitting nearly five years ago.
This will be a critical week for the fate of the Amodei-Maloy amendment. Montana Congressman and former Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, may prove to be a hero on this front as he vows to do what he can to take public land sales out of the “big, beautiful” tax bill.
Zinke, a Republican, recently told WBUR Boston that the issue transcends the usual political divides.
“Look, this is not a blue issue or red issue,” said Zinke. “This is a red, white and blue issue.”
Democrats in Nevada’s congressional delegation are speaking out. Rep. Susie Lee sent Amodei a letter expressing her ire and raising concerns that his amendment would affect the “integrity” of the Colorado River System.
Rep. Dina Titus has an amendment to gut the amendment. Her proposal will be put forth when the House Rules Committee takes up the budget measure on Wednesday.
What can you do to fight for our water?
We joined the Sierra Club, local officials, and others to raise awareness at a press conference in the days following the amendment. We have spoken with members of the media and public officials to raise our concerns. But now we need you to act.
Email and Call Amodei and Maloy’s offices and tell them to remove the amendment on H.Con.Res.14 before it goes for a vote in the House Rules Committee and for a final vote on the floor of the House.
- Contact Amodei’s office, via Max.Kobetz@mail.house.gov and 202-225-6155, and tell him to pull his amendment on H.Con.Res.14
- Contact Maloy’s office, via james.leavitt@mail.house.gov and 202-225-9730, and tell her to pull her amendment on H.Con.Res.14
Additional reporting on land sales and water.