WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) released the following statement after the California water agencies that rely on the Colorado River submitted their proposed modeling framework to reduce water usage to the Bureau of Reclamation in response to ongoing, severe drought conditions:

“We know that drought caused by climate change will require changes to Colorado River water use and that no state will be spared from water reductions. That’s why last fall, California was the first state to come forward with a plan to voluntarily reduce water use.

“But six other Western states dictating how much water California must give up simply isn’t a genuine consensus solution – especially coming from states that haven’t offered any new cuts to their own water usage. The proposal further fails to recognize California’s senior legal water rights.

“The plan California released today proposes the same level of water cuts across the Colorado Basin as the plan released yesterday by the other six states, including significant cuts for California. To be successful, it’s critical that any agreement has the support of all seven states and the Bureau of Reclamation to protect the long-term sustainability of our region.”

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