Pine River Indian Irrigation Project Act (S.1264)
In 1870, the Bureau of Indian Affairs began to build and operate an irrigation system that now comprises 175 miles of canals and ditches to deliver water to tribal and non-tribal users. Unfortunately, after decades ofneglect and deferred maintenance, the system is failing many of its users and putting more than 12,000 acres of agricultural land at risk. In order to find a solution that helps all users of the system, I introduced the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project Act. The bill would require the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to assess the current condition of the Project and then take appropriate action to rehabilitate it. It is important that we protect and make efficient use of one of Colorado’s most valuable resources: water. This is why I pushed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to conduct a hearing on this important issue. The hearing took place on April 29, 2010. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring adequate attention to this important issue.
If you have further questions about this or any other issue, please contact me with your concerns.
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