U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) celebrated the Senate passage of their bipartisan bill, the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act, to help better predict and measure water supply to manage drought in the West. Despite the heavy precipitation Utah has seen in recent days, Utah, Colorado, and the entire West are experiencing a historic 1,200-year drought, causing Utah’s snowpack to reach record lows this past year.
“Water is one of the defining challenges facing Utah and the West, and we need good information to make good decisions,” said Senator Curtis. “In a state where so much of our water supply depends on mountain snowpack, better forecasting helps farmers, communities, and water managers plan ahead and make the most of every drop. I’m pleased the Senate passed our bipartisan bill to strengthen these tools and give Western states better information to manage their water resources.”
“We can’t make informed decisions about our water supply without the right measurement and monitoring tools,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We’re in dire straits with this drought in the West, but this bill will help us better manage our precious water resources and give us more accurate water predictions.”
Background:
Approximately 95% of Utah’s water supply comes from snowpack that melts into rivers, reservoirs, and streams. As Utah faces prolonged drought and increasingly unpredictable snowpack, accurate monitoring and forecasting are essential for farmers, communities, and water managers planning for future water needs.
The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program, which provides grants to advance emerging snow monitoring technology that improves water supply predictions.
The bill would:
- Reauthorize BOR’s Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program through 2031;
- Continue authorized funding of $15 million over five years; and
- Update language in existing authorization to emphasize water supply forecasting activities that inform interstate water management decisions.
The bipartisan Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act is supported by American Rivers, the Southwestern Water Conservation District, Colorado River District, Upper Colorado River Commission, Denver Water, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Congress, Colorado Municipal League, Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, the Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, the National Ski Areas Association, the Family Farm Alliance, the National Audubon Society, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
The full text of the bill is available here.
