House Democrats, led by Congressmembers Peter DeFazio (OR), Grace Napolitano (CA), and Steven Horsford (NV), have written Congressman Doc Hastings, Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, requesting a bipartisan hearing on the drought impacts being felt across the nation.
The letter points out that the drought conditions are already impacting water and power deliveries. In Central California, the snowpack is just 20% of normal, and carryover storage for the state and federal water projects is limited. These drought conditions will significantly impact the management of the water projects in the coming year, the letter warns. Furthermore, the Colorado River is in the midst a long-term drought, and Reclamation has announced it will be releasing 7.48 MAF from Lake Powell this year, the lowest release since Lake Powell was filled in the 1960s. “These water and power challenges are not isolated to the Colorado River basin or to California,” they write. “These impacts are being seen all throughout the west.”
The persistent dry conditions have increased the wildfire frequency and intensity substantially in recent years, as well as create challenges for the many fish species that depend on rivers and estuaries for part or all of their life cycle. Less water in the rivers makes migration to and from the sea difficult for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon, and warmer water temperatures increase the stress on ‘commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important’ fish species, the letter points out. Terrestrial wildlife are impacted as well.
“Most importantly, drought increases conflict between competing potential uses of limited water supplies, including fisheries, agriculture, and municipalities,” the letter states. “When elected officials fail to address these conflicts in a balanced way, the courts usually end up deciding.”
Read the letter here: House Democrats Drought Hearing Letter
