S. 1955

Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act

Statement for the Record
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
Subcommittee on Water and Power
on
S. 1955, Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act

July 19, 2023

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this statement on S. 1955, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act. If enacted, this legislation would amend Title II of the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA) P.L. 102-575 and include a new Section 213. Enacted in 1992, Title II of CUPCA authorized budget authority for development of Central Utah Project features and created a successful water conservation program entitled the Water Management Improvement Program, in Section 207. This new Section 213 would provide additional flexibility for the Department to utilize any unexpended budget authority that may be available from other sections of Title II to augment the Water Management Improvement Program.

In addition, S. 1955 would expand the geographic area covered by CUPCA’s Water Management Improvement Program to consider water conservation measures in the Great Salt Lake drainage basin. Water conservation measures implemented under this amendment would be considered compliant with the Bonneville Unit’s Definite Plan Report.

Drought and climate change are having a significant effect on water resources in the Western United States including impacts to the Great Salt Lake. Should Congress enact this legislation, the Department will consider additional water conservation measures, including in the Great Salt Lake drainage basin, while continuing to prioritize construction of the Central Utah Project.

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