On October 12, 2022, the United States announced a portion of the $4 billion allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act will be used to fund a Lower Basin conservation program.
The Upper Division States appreciate the significant step Reclamation is taking to develop and implement additional water reductions in the Lower Colorado River Basin by funding the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, as well as identifying $500M for Upper Basin programs. As noted in the Upper Division States’ 5 Point Plan, reduction of uses in the Lower Basin relates directly to the effectiveness of Upper Basin actions and also helps protect water contributions to Lake Powell. We look forward to securing appropriate authorization and completing a new agreement with Reclamation to re-initiate the System Conservation Pilot Program in the Upper Basin through the Upper Colorado River Commission later this year.