New Colorado River Abundance Act Aims to Protect Water Supply, Hydropower, and Recreation in the Western U.S.

7mil acre-feet of new water: BlueRibbon Coalition’s proposal addresses critical infrastructure & economic stability while respecting water rights & compacts.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, January 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The BlueRibbon Coalition today announced the release of the Colorado River Abundance Act, a policy framework designed to stabilize the Colorado River system by developing up to 7 million acre-feet of new, reliable water supply over time, protecting hydropower generation, and maintaining recreation access at major federal reservoirs.

The Colorado River supplies water to approximately 40 million Americans, supports seven states and more than 30 Tribal Nations, and underpins a regional economy measured in the trillions of dollars annually. Yet the system is being pushed beyond its limits by prolonged drought, climate variability, and decades of underinvestment in new supply—leaving reservoirs, communities, and power generation increasingly exposed to emergency shortages.

The Colorado River Abundance Act proposes a fundamental shift in strategy: build new water at scale rather than manage long-term decline through recurring crisis measures.

“You cannot conserve your way out of a structural water deficit,” said Ben Burr, Executive Director of the BlueRibbon Coalition. “This Act is about manufacturing water at scale—on the order of 7 million acre-feet—so the Colorado River system can function again. That means protecting hydropower, keeping reservoirs usable, sustaining recreation, and giving communities certainty instead of perpetual crisis.”

At its core, the framework authorizes and coordinates development of new supply through large-scale desalination, advanced water reuse, and system efficiency projects. By increasing reliable supply and reducing pressure on the river, the Act aims to improve operational stability while preserving existing water rights and interstate compacts.

The policy also positions the United States to compete in a rapidly growing global arena: industrial-scale water production. As water scarcity increasingly influences security, economic growth, and geopolitical stability, nations are investing heavily in desalination and advanced water systems. The Colorado River Abundance Act treats water supply as critical infrastructure, supporting the development of U.S.-based technology, engineering, and operational expertise with potential global applications.

In addition to new supply, the Act includes safeguards to:
- Prevent catastrophic drawdown at Lake Powell and Lake Mead
- Protect low-cost, carbon-free hydropower relied upon by millions across the West
- Maintain functional recreation access, supporting tourism economies, public safety, and rural communities

The framework recognizes that water reliability, power generation, and recreation access are inseparable outcomes of a functioning reservoir system—when reservoir elevations collapse, the impacts cascade through communities.

The BlueRibbon Coalition represents recreationists, access advocates, and rural communities already experiencing the consequences of system failure, including closed boat ramps, stranded marinas, unsafe navigation, and collapsing tourism economies.

“When reservoirs stop functioning, the damage isn’t theoretical—it’s immediate and local,” said Simone Griffin, BRC Policy Director. “Many of our members live in the Colorado River Basin, and while we are a recreation-focused organization, we recognize that our modern recreation economy relies on strong communities built on a foundation of stable water supplies and the prosperity that comes from developing abundant resources.”

BlueRibbon Coalition is advancing the Colorado River Abundance Act as a policy blueprint for lawmakers, Western states, Tribal governments, water and power agencies, and infrastructure partners. The framework does not rewrite interstate compacts or water rights; instead, it focuses on the infrastructure, operational clarity, and new supply needed to make existing agreements sustainable in a changing world.

“The Colorado River Abundance Act is not a final answer—it is the beginning of a necessary conversation,” Burr said. “For too long, Colorado River policy has assumed that decline is inevitable and that emergency measures are permanent. This Act challenges that assumption and opens the door to a new paradigm—one focused on system stability, innovation, and long-term abundance.”

About BlueRibbon Coalition
Since 1987, the BlueRibbon Coalition has fought to preserve recreation access to America’s public lands. Serving members in all 50 states, BRC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit driven by grassroots energy and works across outdoor recreation sectors through advocacy, litigation, and policy development. For more than two decades, BlueRibbon Coalition has been a leading advocate for protecting recreational access at Lake Powell, and its members are living the consequences of an unstable Colorado River system. In response to feedback from the Coalition’s advocacy, the Bureau of Reclamation directly acknowledged and addressed members’ concerns in the latest Environmental Impact Statement for the Post-2026 Colorado River Operational Guidelines.

Nick Pucci
BlueRibbon Coalition
nick.pucci@blueribboncoalition.org
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