Wyoming’s Mike Vickrey Testifies on Importance of Colorado River Negotiations

Vickrey testified before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) welcomed Pinedale, Wyoming rancher Mike Vickrey to testify on the importance of Colorado River negotiations during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee hearing.

Mr. Vickrey, a member of the Green River Valley Cattlemen's Association, discussed the importance of water certainty for ranchers and farmers in Wyoming and other Upper Basin states. He also discussed the ways that Wyoming contributes to conservation efforts that maintain water access for all seven Basin States.

"Mike is a fifth-generation rancher. He also serves on Governor Gordon's Colorado River Advisory Committee for Wyoming," said Senator Barrasso. "Mike runs a cow calf and yearling operation with his parents, daughter, and son-in-law. The Vickreys operate on sage brush pastures and irrigated hay fields, west of the Wind River Mountains. Their ranch is at the headwaters of the Green River in Sublette County. It supports numerous wildlife and blue-ribbon fisheries. I am grateful to Mike for sharing his perspective on the Colorado River as a rancher from Wyoming."

"Agriculture is one of Wyoming's most important industries. It is a large part of our state's history and heritage. I am proud of the Upper Basin's continued efforts towards a seven-state solution. A seven-state solution is in Wyoming's best interest, especially for our agriculture industry," said Senator Barrasso. "I have met with all of the Senators from the seven Basin states. It is not easy to get all fourteen Senators in a room together to discuss anything. We all showed up. That shows just how dire and serious the situation is."

In his testimony, Mr. Vickrey discussed how ranchers, farmers, and other businesses in Wyoming depend on the Colorado River for water certainty.

"While our water in the Upper and Lower Basin is shared water, the best management of each area is vastly different," said Vickrey. "In the Upper Basin, we have relatively small lakes with only a few that have structures capable of storing water. I have heard the Lower Basin talk about the need to have some security in the allotment of water they expect to get over time. They have in fact experienced that security for many years because of Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Those of us in the very Upper Basin don't have that luxury. Each year, our expectations of how much water we will have to irrigate with are based on Mother Nature."

Mr. Vickrey also discussed how water used in Wyoming is conserved for downstream use by Lower Basin states.

"The question always comes: what are you doing for conservation? All Upper Basin states have participated in system conservation pilot programs. For example, in Wyoming, 64 projects were funded in 2023 through the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) and conserved 38,000 acre-feet of water. In 2024, 110 projects were funded with an estimated conserved consumptive use of 63,000 acre-feet." said Vickrey.

Mr. Vickrey said that any Colorado River management plan should factor in the importance of changes to the water supply.

"We, in the Upper Basin, know all too well that poor hydrology makes for tough decisions. We deal with that on a yearly basis," continued Vickrey. "In order to survive, we must adapt. Our insurance policy for water is a 'term' policy. It runs year to year with no guarantees for the future. The Lower Basin, however, has had the luxury of a long-term policy, thanks to storage from Lake Mead and Lake Powell. They are now looking at further upstream units for more protection. The only way going forward is a shared pain as hydrology worsens. From my Upper Basin perspective, a supply-driven model of the river is imperative. As conditions continue to change, we must adapt to the actual amount of available water and continue to search for new sources of usable water."

Mr. Vickrey's entire statement can be read here.

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