WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-08) led a letter to Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Darryl LaCounte to request answers regarding the Bureau’s failure to notify local farmers in Pinal County, Arizona about a recent excess water release from the San Carlos Reservoir.

“Record droughts have forced Arizonans to take on reductions in their water allocations, and farmers have been particularly impacted by these cuts,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “Farmers could have used this excess water, yet the Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to notify them of the water release, so this precious water supply went to waste. This is unacceptable. I am proud to lead this letter to get answers from the Bureau about their protocols for water releases and why they failed to notify the non-tribal communities around the Coolidge Dam of the release.”

In August 2022, water levels at the San Carlos Reservoir reached dangerous levels and threatened the Coolidge Dam and the dam’s ability to prevent a flood. To protect the integrity of Coolidge Dam, the Bureau of Indian Affairs made the decision to release the excess water into the canal infrastructure. The Bureau notified the surrounding tribal communities of the release, but failed to notify nearby farmers and other non-tribal communities around the dam of the water release.

Lesko was joined by Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and David Schweikert (R-AZ-06) in sending the letter.

Read the full letter here.

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