Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing on three pieces of legislation affecting water resources and development. Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) issued the following statement in response:

"Water resources are absolutely critical to American infrastructure, particularly as we head into the dry summer months. Unfortunately, many communities in the West are bearing the brunt of the Biden administration’s failed policies when it comes to long-term water storage and other essential reforms. Today’s hearing in the Natural Resources Committee highlighted several Republican-led solutions that would revitalize pumped hydropower storage projects, reauthorize a Bureau of Reclamation program, and allow Bureau of Reclamation water users to prepay what they owe the federal government. The common thread? Increasing flexibility for our local communities and removing bureaucratic red tape."

Background

The hearing today focused on legislation addressing hydropower, water resources and water infrastructure improvements. 

H.R. 1607 would withdraw approximately 17,095 acres of federal lands from the National Forest System in Arizona for the development of pumped storage hydropower and the development, generation and transmission of electrical power and energy.

H.R. 3675 reauthorizes expired authorities that allow Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) agriculture and municipal water users to prepay what they owe to the federal government. 

H.R. 3027 would extend the authorization of BORs WaterSMART Basin Studies Program for another 10 fiscal years. The law directs BOR to establish a program to assess the effects of global climate change on western water resources and analyze how supply changes in eight river basins might impact customers, fish, wildlife, recreation and more.