Living Rivers-Colorado Riverkeeper, Great Basin Water Network and the Center for Biological Diversity released the following statements after it was revealed that Utah Rep. Celeste Maloy’s plan to sell off thousands of acres of public land in Southern Utah includes parcels that could harm the Colorado River, Lake Mead and Lower Basin States.
Maps corresponding with Maloy’s amendment to sell off public lands includes parcels that follow the path of the Lake Powell Pipeline, a project that would decimate elevations at Lake Mead, jeopardize drinking water quality, and threaten the water supply for millions of people in the southwest.
Maloy’s proposal ignites debate and speculation about a project that would suck billions of gallons of water annually from the Colorado River to serve sprawl in Washington County, Utah. The environmental permitting on the project was halted after the initial stages of environmental review saw thousands of citizens, water users, public officials and others raise concerns over the dangerous project in 2020.
A comparison of maps from the Lake Powell Pipeline’s permitting documents and Maloy’s amendment shows a similar pathway and corridor. Utah officials have never ruled out the Lake Powell Pipeline and have never vowed to stop pursuing the paper water right that they say justifies the project.
MAP FROM MALOY AMENDMENT (See full map below)
MAP FROM LAKE POWELL PIPELINE DEIS
Maloy’s efforts were released this week during a Natural Resources hearing addressing a spending bill addressing budget reconciliation. Republicans are looking to raise revenues for tax cuts. The move to sneak in the Lake Powell Pipeline, however, could limit regulatory oversight for a dangerous project long sought by Utah officials.Malloy was joined by Nevada’s lone Republican in Congress, Rep. Mark Amodei, who proposed amendments that would sell off thousands of acres of public land in Nevada, including Las Vegas, which would also require more consumptive uses of the Colorado River.
The cumulative effort of Maloy and Amodei could expedite increased Colorado River water use at a time when Lake Mead and Lake Powell are crashing, according to data from the Bureau of Reclamation.
“We don’t need tax cuts for billionaires. We need cuts on all major water users in the Colorado River System, said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network. “Maloy’s amendment is a grave threat to Lower Basin States and Lake Mead, which is one-third full. Any effort to pursue this dangerous project, legislatively or otherwise, must be defeated for the sake of communities that rely on the Colorado River.”
“Ramming through the Lake Powell Pipeline under cover of night is as unconscionable as it is catastrophic for the Colorado River system,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Tens of millions of people downstream rely on the already struggling Colorado River for survival, while Reps. Amodei and Malloy are paving the way for 27 billion gallons of water to be siphoned off for lawns and golf courses in St. George. This amendment is a disaster for the Southwest, and we’ll know who to blame for widespread water shortages in the Lower Basin.”
“Billionaires can’t make water, and politicians can’t fix the problems on the Colorado River System with proposals that look like the amendment from Rep. Celeste Maloy,” said John Weisheit, conservation director of Living Rivers-Colorado Riverkeeper. “The river system is crashing but Utah thinks there is water available. The political class here has its head in the sand.”
Contact: Kyle Roerink
Executive Director
Great Basin Water Network
702-324-9662
Patrick Donnelly
Great Basin Director
Center for Biological Diversity
775-990-932
John Weisheit
Conservation Director
Living Rivers
435-260-2590
