Thursday May 14, 2026
The Nature Conservancy —
A broad coalition of organizations from throughout the Colorado River Basin is urging Congress to provide at least $2 billion in new federal funding to begin to address the region’s escalating water supply crisis. The coalition includes more than 70 groups from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Tribal Nations. A link to the letter sent to Congressional leadership today is here.
The request reflects growing consensus among traditionally diverse interests that immediate federal investment is needed to reduce drought risks, protect critical infrastructure and preserve the long-term reliability, value and stability of Colorado River water for all Basin communities and Tribes. The requested funding would support near-term drought mitigation programming that builds on the Bureau of Reclamation’s existing investments to address urgent water supply risks and position the Basin for longer-term resilience.