From: The Honorable Matt Cartwright
Sent By: erik.brun@mail.house.gov
Bill: H.Res. 593
Date: 7/8/2014

Supporting Organizations: Friends Committee on National Legislation, Choose Clean Water Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature Conservancy

Current Cosponsors: Grijalva, Honda, Lee, Moran, Napolitano, Norton, Peters (CA-52), Speier

Dear Colleague,

We ask you to join us as a cosponsor on H. Res. 593 to express the need to transition to a sustainable, secure water economy; foster a national and regional understanding of water use, availability and sustainability; and prioritize an assessment of water availability and use.

A recent GAO report (GAO-14-430) concerning water availability in the U.S. found that population growth, extreme weather, and the lack of information on water availability and use, among others, continue to complicate state water planning efforts.  Forty of 50 state water managers expect water shortages to occur in their states over the next ten years.  In addition, the report found that increased collaboration among federal agencies and collaboration between federal, state and local water authorities, as well as enhanced data collection, are actions that would strengthen water management activities.

Congress needs to re-affirm its interest in understanding the growing constraints on the availability, quality, and use of our water resources.  Water is an essential component to all sectors of society from agriculture, manufacturing, and energy development to domestic consumption, recreation, human health, and ecological maintenance. The increasing demands on our water resources and diminishing water supply is surpassing our ability to provide safe, secure, and reliable water in many parts of the United States.

The USGS initiated a national water census as part of the National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program in the Secure Water Act of 2009.  The assessment and resulting census are key elements in providing information to water managers to assist them in their planning efforts.  H. Res. 593 expresses the need to prioritize this assessment and produce a census with the same sense of urgency as the “man on the moon” project to address the inevitable challenges of “peak water”.

For more information, or to become a cosponsor, please contact Erik Brun at 202-225-5546 or Erik.Brun@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Matt Cartwright

Member of Congress