The House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held an oversight hearing on May 20 examining the future of the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that delivers water to 31 million people across the American West. The hearing exposed a sharp partisan divide over whether the primary barrier to water infrastructure is bureaucratic red tape, as Republicans argued, or the Trump administration’s own budget cuts and staffing reductions, as Democrats contended. … The hearing’s most contentious exchange came when [Rep. Jared] Huffman pressed Scott Cameron, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, on whether the administration’s proposed elimination of the Water Smart program, a drought resilience initiative with bipartisan support, was a serious budget proposal.

Other Colorado River management news:

• KJZZ (Phoenix): Hobbs says Colorado River negotiators should look to Hoover Dam for inspiration
• Vail Daily (Colo.): River districts to host joint meeting Thursday; new fines to be considered for water wasters
• Marketplace: Podcast: West prepares for extreme measures to relieve pressure on Colorado River