Readout of Secretary Salazar's Meeting with Representatives of the Colorado River Basin States

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and other senior Interior Department officials met with representatives of the Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. As a record drought goes into its eleventh year, Secretary Salazar called today's meeting to discuss a number of ongoing water issues confronting the Department and the States, and to continue the collaboration that has historically occurred on such issues.

At today's meeting, the state and departmental representatives renewed their commitment to a strong working partnership with open lines of communication in order to tackle the challenges ahead.

The Colorado River provides drinking water for more than 25 million people and water for agriculture, industry, and renewable hydroelectricity. It is also the lifeblood of the Grand Canyon and other national parks, wildlife refuges and ecosystem services. The period from 2000 to 2010 has been the driest 11-year period in more than 100 years of recorded history in the basin. Accordingly, the challenges associated with meeting the many demands placed on this limited resource are growing.