Utah Valley Times

Washington, D.C. — Last week, Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) presented his bill, the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act, during a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries hearing. This legislation addresses the excessive salinity levels in the Colorado River, which have significant environmental and economic impacts on Utah and other Western states.

"Excessive salt in our rivers can damage Utah's iconic national parks, limit available drinking water, and affect the water ranchers use to feed the nation," said Rep. Curtis. "This bill is essential for maintaining the Colorado River's health and utility, ensuring it continues to support our communities and economy."

The bill seeks to enhance the existing Salinity Control Program, which has successfully reduced salt levels in the Colorado River for nearly 50 years. By implementing innovative solutions and fostering partnerships, such as those seen in the Washington County Water Conservation District, the legislation will help manage salinity and make millions of gallons of water more usable.

“The Washington County Water Conservancy District thanks Rep. Curtis for leading the bill to extend the Colorado River Salinity Control Act. Under the authority of this law, we are partnering with the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, devise and build a project to remove salt from Pah Tempe Springs, the second-highest salinity contributor in the entire river. If proven feasible, this project will add significant new supplies to our local water resources while removing an environmentally harmful toxin from the river," stated Zach Renstrom, General Manager of Washington County Water Conservancy District.

“For the past five decades, the state of Utah has benefitted from enhanced water quality resulting from the Salinity Control Program. While mechanisms established by Congress to fund the program worked well initially, years of extreme drought on the Colorado River and diminished hydropower revenues require a fix to the funding structure. Utah supports H.R. 7872 in order to support the long-term sustainability of the program. We applaud Representative Curtis for leading the charge to protect the Colorado River," said Amy Hass, Executive Director of Colorado River Authority of Utah.

The bill is supported by several organizations including National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and Trout Unlimited.