western states have been facing a historic drought that's affected the water availability in the colorado riversprograms have been introduced at the federal and state and local levels to address these historic droughts and improve water conservation and the colorado water conservation program, pilot program has funded numerous projects in colorado to include voluntary water conservation and i would just thank you madame chair. thank you, i yield back. >> thank you, and the chair now recognizes ms. alfred for five minutes of questioning. >> thank you madame chair. thank you for our panelists for being here today. this bill also circumvent the fees that goes to sanctuaries. so can you tell me ms. thooms the companies you represent by circumventing that fee process? >> thank you for your question. really the fair market value fee is not part of what i do, part of permitting process. i'm not only in the position to say how much that would be. fair market would be 2 to $7 million. my second question is around the type of the bill written. i'm concerned about the ambiguity here particularly the legisl

in addition 22 of the 30 colorado river basin tribes are in arizona. rules govern the reduction of the colorado river expire at the end of 2026 and 2826 operations are still ongoing. lower basin states have put forward a proposal for management the colorado river that shares the risk. no agreement has been reached and lead to potential conflicts within the basin which of course we were all like to avoid. would you work with arizona parties and my office so information post 2026 is not overly burdensome to any one state and is consistent with the colorado river compact? >> editor, you bring up a really important issue. this is with the 2026 date looming coming forward. you know interior does have some specific authorities relative to helping with lower and upper basin. i would say as a former chair of western governors this has been a battle going on as long as there been people in the west. people are fighting over water in the west. my experience in north dakota has been on that missouri river basin we've been in deep battles with canada because we ha

so they built this canal from the colorado river, which actually throughout history tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years the colorado river, periodically would flow into this region, was called the salt and sink area, and became at times late career with the original courier indians that were there. but in modern times it would float into the gulf of mexico. so they created this, uh, canal to bring water for agriculture. and it's a long and interesting, complex. but they were involved in struggles with the federal government over water rights, where the federal government was saying, well, we should control this water. and if we can prove a navigable river, then federal government regulations come in. so as they were negotiating with the federal government, they also on the side negotiated with mexico to build a new from the mexico side of the on the colorado river to then bring the water into the u.s. from, mexico, where it comes in as a foreign owned commodity under a different set of laws and rules. so there was no with the federal government for that. and i'll let man

so they built this canal from the colorado river, which actually throughout history tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years the colorado river, periodically would flow into this region, was called the salt and sink area, and became at times late career with the original courier indians that were there. but in modern times it would float into the gulf of mexico. so they created this, uh, canal to bring water for agriculture. and it's a long and interesting, complex. but they were involved in struggles with the federal government over water rights, where the federal government was saying, well, we should control this water. and if we can prove a navigable river, then federal government regulations come in. so as they were negotiating with the federal government, they also on the side negotiated with mexico to build a new from the mexico side of the on the colorado river to then bring the water into the u.s. from, mexico, where it comes in as a foreign owned commodity under a different set of laws and rules. so there was no with the federal government for that. and i'll let man

the imperial valley relies completely on the colorado river for its water. the area receives less than three inches of rain a year, but grows about two thirds of the entire country's crops. 40 million people get their water from the colorado river. a new plant in antioch will start removing salt from the delta to turn it into fresh water. the plant works by using reverse osmosis to remove salt and other minerals. it will allow antioch to use that delta water. now it costs $97 million to build the plant. right now, public works officials say it's unclear if the process will raise water bills for antioch residents. >> this morning, california's department of water resources will conduct its first snow survey of the season. the new year is a good time to look at california's drought and fire conditions. california had several large fires in 2024, but not in swarms. 2023 was a wet year that also led to fewer fires. >> if you compare where we were 20 years ago, ten years ago, you can just tell that the innovation, the technology that we have to use and also the p

colorado river lifeline for millions across the west faces growing threats effective communication support from the department of interior states negotiate the rivers future and critical to safeguarding the vital resource. department must work to balance the disability conservation ensuring visitors can enjoy the treasures without compromising the future. this will require stronger partnerships with local stakeholders and address infrastructure needs and manage visitor impacts. all the esa an essential tool for protecting endangered species it must be applied judiciously and in coordination with local governments to avoid unnecessary conflict. governor brown, your track record uniquely positioned in particular to leave the department of the interior during this challenging time. your vision and leadership will be instrumental to restoring balance to the federal policies and ensuring public lands are managed with accountability and care stands ready to work with you in tackling these challenges and charting a new course that reflects the principles of federalism and respectful local communi

together with prior designations we'll create a continuous corridor along the colorado river of over 18 million acres of protected land, the largest in the lower 48 states. he those at home listening, that's bigger than the entire state of west virginia. it's called the moab mojave national corridor. we'll protect desert valleys and stunning peaks tucked away in the desert landscapes with beautiful springs and over 50 rare plants and animals, palm trees, cacti, mountain lion, bats, bighorn sheep, owls, desert tortoises. it's incredible what's there. this action also preserves the mosaic of trails woven together by tribal nations that trace their origins back thousands of years, thousands of years. and left behind on these trails are ancient ceramics, tools, rock art, sacred ceremonial sites that also will be preserved. we're also preserving ruins of old mines and the construction drove out indigenous people from their homes, a reminder of the harm that was done and remnants of u.s. army camp, trained units in desert combat shortly after we entered world war ii. for generations, this

it's expected that it will be 25% less water in new mexico, and the colorado river which provides water for 40 million people i remember gates billions worth of crops and habitat for fish and wildlife and likely never return to the earlier 20th century flows we used to be able to expect. through the bureau of reclamation, the department of the interior must play an active role helping the west to transition to that new water reality. as you know, the interior department is also an energy department. as we make the transition to a cleaner energy economy, the land and water managed by the department will play an indispensable role in producing the energy that we need as well as facilitating the ability to move that energy around the country. from geo thermal and hydrogen and solar and wind, the department is at the center of our energy future. governor, i very much look forward to hearing your plans on all of these topics and more and i think we'll have very active questions from our members today. >> thank you, senator heinrich. >> we'll hear introduction from the north dakota delegation

finally, securing our long-term water supply means defending our right full share of the colorado river. whether i'm meeting people in the state or other tkpwhofrs my message is the same. i will always stan up for arizona's water rights. i'm proud to have protect the them from forced cuts through 2026 but solutions won't come from washington, d.c. they will come from western states working together, not against each other. arizona has led the nation in water management for generations. it is our responsibility to continue that ensure your water future and protect the arizona promise for those that follow our footsteps. finally, our children deserve the best public education. from page it douglas more than 90% of our connection 12 students go to public schools. that is why our path demands bipartisan solutions to maintain the schools they deserve. public education is the key to opportunity, security and freedom. it is the arizona promise. success means outstanding teaches in every classroom. it means smaller class sizes to enable meaningful engagement. and it means equipping kids with th

. >> taking water from the colorado river but that might dry up. i don't know.might have to tap canada. thank you. i have a winery. >> say roquefort. >> roquefort. it's a fancy cheese. >> oh. >> well, this has been incredible. we've talked to a lot of great people, we've learned a lot. now it's time for me to get to my hot rock massage. i'll check you all later. this is gav from the world famous farmer's market signing off. [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: that's right. we've got a fun show for you tonight. kyle mooney is here. [ cheers and applause ] we have music from denzel curry, and we'll be right back with jude law, so stick around! [ cheers and applause ] . >> announcer: abc's "jimmy kimmel live," brought to you by nissan. look! here we go! (♪) (♪) they're following us! (♪) woo hoo! this is awesome! (♪) (♪) giddy up. the first ever nissan rogue rock creek. (♪) introducing new eroxon gel, the first fda-cleared ed treatment available without a prescription. eroxon gel is clinically proven to work within ten minutes, so you and your partner can experience t

it gets it from the colorado river. but needless to say, some of you are right on these some of these policy decisions. and that's fair to look at. i just, you know, you say you want to the president elect wants to get along with the governor, but calling him newsom is probably not the best way to do that. but i agree that people should look at their policy decisions. but i don't think now is the time to do that. people literally have lost everything they have in these urban fires are not something that california is used to. we're used to wildfires. and so i think there is a little bit different argument here. >> well, and eli stokols, i mean, the bottom line here is that this is about presidential politics, right? i mean, the back and forth between donald trump and gavin newsom. i mean, it is no secret that gavin newsom wants to run for president. obviously, donald trump cannot run again. but i mean, i feel like i'm hearing the next presidential campaign already, in his words, which is wild because we just finished on

the colorado river, a lifeline of the west, is withering. states plead for coordination to create a strategy to preserve this resource for millions. what they receive instead are dithering from an administration more interested in virtue signaling than problem solving. doi desperately needs a leader who will act. governor burgum is that leader. we need a leader -- drawing millions and sustaining in many cases entire communities. yet infrastructure crumbles, visitor access is restricted, and the federal government's response is as lethargic as it is incompetent. governor burgum understands what's at stake. he spent his entire career bringing people together to solve problems. he's earned the trust of tribes, of businesses, conservist conservation -- conservationists and working people alike. he understands that we cannot regulate our way into prosperity, nor can we regulate our way into abundance. he understands that it's not just numbers on a balance sheet or reports gathering dust in washington. it is real. and for many of us, it's deeply,