IID GM Martinez testifies before U.S. House committee

Imperial Irrigation District General Manager Henry Martinez testified Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resource’s two-part virtual hearing on the Colorado River drought.

Martinez was one of six expert witnesses on Wednesday, IID said in a release. The committee also received testimony by federal and tribal governments and witnesses from several states during the first day of the hearing, conducted on Oct. 15.

Martinez testified regarding the Colorado River’s importance to the Imperial Valley in sustaining its agrarian economy and rural existence, while also expressing that protection of the Salton Sea is critical.

“The linkage between the Colorado River and the Salton Sea is irrefutable and the challenges facing it are ones both the upper and lower basins must recognize as a community of aligned interests,” Martinez said. “The Salton Sea is, as you also know, the linchpin and proving grounds of the nation’s largest agricultural-to-urban conserved water transfer program, the QSA.”

He also told the committee the only way to ensure the long-term viability of the Colorado River system is for water agencies, the states, tribes, Mexico and other stakeholders to commit anew to working alongside one another to identify new partnerships and solutions to address the imbalance on the river. As such, he said IID supports continued coordination and collaboration as the next set of long-term Colorado River operational guidelines are developed for implementation beginning in 2026.

The hearing can be viewed on the committee’s website at https://naturalresources.house.gov/ hearings/colorado-river-drought-conditions-and-response-measures_day-two and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/NaturalResourcesDems/featured