Gallego Questions Secretary Burgum on Water Plans in Budget Request

WASHINGTON – During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) questioned Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum on the President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department. During the hearing, Gallego emphasized that any budget proposal must protect Arizona’s water security, prioritize energy costs, and uphold Tribal commitments. Watch Senator Gallego’s questioning here . Gallego began his questioning by pressing Burgum on the Department’s recently announced interim Colorado River operations, which include moving water between reservoirs like Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell to keep water levels from dropping too low. “The Department’s recently-announced interim Colorado River actions include releasing up to 1 million acre-feet from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir over the next year, and simultaneously cutting releases from Powell to Lake Mead to 6 million acre-feet —the minimum amount legally allowed—through September,” said Senator Gallego. “I am glad to see that Interior is recognizing the dire status of the river and the need for agency support. However, I do have questions around the implementation. Does Interior plan to move the entire 1 million from Flaming Gorge? And if water supply increases, which would be ended first: the Flaming Gorge releases or the Powell to Mead cuts?” Gallego asked about the proposed budget’s reductions in hydropower generation at Hoover Dam, which could raise energy prices for Arizona families and small businesses, especially in rural communities. “You acknowledged that cutting releases from Lake Powell by 1.5 one million acre-feet could cause an additional 40% reduction to hydropower generated capacity at Hoover Dam as early as this fall, something that obviously concerns us a lot. Energy prices are already climbing at more than twice the rate of inflation, and many of my constituents rely on this energy to power their homes, especially in that region,” said Senator Gallego. “Have you quantified the potential rate impacts to Arizona customers or anyone that’s affected by the cuts? In the near term, what is your agency’s plan to mitigate price increases resulting from this loss in generation?” Gallego also emphasized the importance of the proposed budget’s funding for Tribal water settlements in Arizona, including the Hualapai Tribe’s water settlement, which expires in 2029. “The inclusion of $58 million for the Hualapai water settlement in this budget reflects the urgency of funding this settlement before the enforceability deadline of April 2029. If funding is not appropriated by then, it would void the settlement, undermining years of bipartisan work to resolve these longstanding water rights claims,” said Senator Gallego.