Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper celebrated bipartisan committee passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The senators worked to include Colorado priorities and water infrastructure investments as part of the biennial legislation that addresses nationwide water management, flood control, ecosystem restoration, and long-term clean water projects.
“As Colorado communities face a hotter and drier future, we need to continue to invest in our water infrastructure. I’m grateful that these projects received bipartisan support in today’s Senate Committee vote. I’ll keep working to move these projects and funding through Congress so we can protect Colorado’s vital waterways and resources for the next generation,” said Bennet.
“Floods and droughts alike strain Colorado’s water infrastructure,” said Hickenlooper. “These investments will equip our communities to build stronger, more reliable waterways and healthier ecosystems.”
This legislation includes important funding and new authorities for Colorado, including:
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$20 million for El Paso County to help address a variety of water supply and stormwater management needs;
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Authorization for the Templeton Gap Levee, Mountain and Fountain Creeks Study on the ecosystem restoration of a 7-mile stretch of Monument and Fountain Creeks and the rehabilitation of the 2-mile-long Templeton Gap levee in Colorado Springs, which will promote water quality and mitigate flood risk;
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South Platte River Projects Study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Government Accountability Office to speed up the completion of two projects to promote healthy waterways along the South Platte River and neighboring Denver water systems;
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Increasing federal support from $10 million to $15 million for the majority of USACE’s Continuing Authorities Programs (CAPs) – smaller-scale projects to reduce flood damages and restore aquatic ecosystems; and
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Reauthorizing the National Dam Safety Program to continue the repair and removal of potentially hazardous dams.
The text of the bill is available HERE.