Gosar Calls on the Department of Interior to Ensure Arizona Receives Fair Treatment in Colorado River Framework

YUMA, AZ - Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum calling on the Department to ensure Arizona receives fair treatment in the federal government's new Colorado River operating framework:

"Arizona cannot continue to be asked to take the biggest hit. Arizona has conserved water, invested in infrastructure, stored water, and accepted reductions. Our farmers, communities, and businesses have done their part. The responsibility now needs to be shared across the entire Basin.

Arizona's circumstances have changed dramatically since Congress authorized the Central Arizona Project in 1968. Our state has grown from approximately 1.7 million residents to more than 7.6 million and has become a national center for agriculture, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor production, aerospace, and national defense.

Reliable water supplies are no longer simply an Arizona issue. They are a matter of national economic and national security. Arizona is home to critical military installations, defense industries, farmers who help feed the nation, and some of the country's most important semiconductor and advanced manufacturing investments. We need to ensure Arizona has the water necessary to continue contributing to the strength and security of our country.

I have been warning for years that we cannot conserve our way out of a supply problem. Conservation is essential, but we also need to create, store, and move more water. I appreciate President Trump's commitment to expanding America's water infrastructure and the Department's willingness to pursue innovative solutions.

I will continue working with the administration and the Department to find a long-lasting solution that protects the Colorado River system while ensuring Arizona is treated fairly.

Arizona is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment and a fair share of the responsibility,"stated Congressman Paul Gosar.

Background

The Department of the Interior's 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines establish a 1.25 million acre-foot annual reduction for the Lower Basin. Under the Lower Basin sharing arrangement, Arizona would absorb 760,000 acre-feet of that reduction, compared with 440,000 acre-feet for California and 50,000 acre-feet for Nevada.

Since first being elected to Congress, Representative Gosar has actively worked to address the West's long-term water challenges. In 2020, he founded and chaired the bipartisan Colorado River Caucus and has consistently advocated for water augmentation, desalination, new conveyance, expanded storage, aquifer recharge, and federal investment in long-term water infrastructure.

Gosar has also convened Arizona water roundtables with water authorities, engineers, hydrologists, local officials, and infrastructure experts to identify practical solutions to the region's water challenges.

In his letter, Gosar urged the administration to continue pursuing water development alongside conservation, including desalination, advanced water treatment, aquifer recharge, additional storage, conveyance improvements, and other projects capable of increasing the West's available water supply.

Click here to read Congressman Gosar's full letter to Secretary Burgum.