WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) announced he secured $28 million of funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) project last week, which will be provided by the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation’s Fiscal Year 2020 work plan.

 What they are saying about Senator Gardner’s successful efforts to secure funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit:

“The AVC is a critical piece of infrastructure that will deliver clean and reliable water to rural communities of southeastern Colorado so they can thrive and grow,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman, “I am pleased that through hard work and collaboration at the local, state, and federal level, Reclamation and our partners are positioned to move quickly toward construction so that we can deliver water to the communities of the Arkansas Valley.”

“Access to clean and reliable water is critical to Coloradan families, and for years, the Colorado delegation has worked to secure funding for the AVC Project. Completion of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project has been a top priority during my time in Congress and I am grateful the BoR has made good on its word to prioritize the needs of economically distressed regions, especially those in Colorado. I am proud to have worked with the local water conservation districts, my colleagues in the House and Senate, and the members of the Trump Administration to get this project closer to the finish line,” said Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO).

“Colorado is known for its crystal-clear streams, but for nearly 50,000 people in southeastern Colorado, access to fresh drinking water has been a challenge. That’s why I’m extremely grateful to announce that after years of fighting for clean drinking water in the Lower Arkansas Valley, we have secured $28 million in funding to start construction on the Arkansas Valley Conduit. Thank you to Interior Secretary Bernhardt and the Bureau of Reclamation for working with us to secure funding for this important project,” said Congressman Ken Buck (R-CO).

“We are very grateful and thankful for the work of Senator Gardner and our delegation in securing this funding. This amount of money is a real milestone in the history of the project. I think this is a wonderful example of bipartisan support and partnership of federal, state and local officials that is needed to secure a safe drinking water supply, not only for the people of southeastern Colorado, but for every rural American,” said Bill Long, president of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. 

“It’s emotional from a standpoint that the (Arkansas River) Valley has been waiting for years and as everybody that lives in the country, I think they deserve the right to have high-quality water. This starts that,” said James Broderick, executive director of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

 “A project like this — any water project — takes a long time to get going. This one shouldn’t have taken this long, but now it seems like we’re going to be able to get moving,” said Chris Woodka, senior policy and issues manager for the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. “We owe thanks to our entire congressional delegation. They have all worked hard on the project. Gardner really worked hard on it. He has been committed since he was a staffer.”

 “We’ve been waiting for this for years and years and we are going to see some movement,” said Kevin Karney, chairman of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District’s Arkansas Valley Conduit Committee. 

 “We should be proud of our congressional delegation. It was a bipartisan effort over decades. My hat is off to the entire delegation for getting this done,” said Greg Felt, chairman of the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners and member of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, who was recently appointed to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

 “Despite being authorized by President Kennedy nearly 60 years ago, southern Colorado’s water needs have been put on the back burner year after year by the federal government,” said Colorado State Senator Larry Crowder, whose district covers the majority of area affected by the project. “Thanks to Senator Gardner’s leadership, we will finally see those promises begin to be fulfilled. This is a big deal for dozens of communities in my district and I’m excited to see the Arkansas Valley Conduit finally move forward.”

 “Water is of extreme importance to Colorado’s industries, especially agriculture. I’m very grateful that Senator Gardner stepped up and delivered,” said Colorado State Senator Jerry Sonnenberg. “Water affects everything we do and the Arkansas Valley Conduit will help expand access to clean water across Southern Colorado. That’s a huge win for all of Colorado.”