Congress clears path to finish Colorado’s Arkansas Valley Conduit water pipeline
WASHINGTON (PGJ) — Legislation aimed at advancing construction of the long-delayed Arkansas Valley Conduit water pipeline has cleared Congress and is headed to the president’s desk after unanimous Senate approval.
The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act, sponsored by Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, adjusts repayment terms for local cost-share partners by reducing interest payments and providing greater flexibility in financing. Lawmakers say the changes are needed as project costs have climbed sharply in recent years due to inflation and higher labor expenses.
“Over six decades ago, President Kennedy came to Pueblo, Colorado and promised to build the Arkansas Valley Conduit,” Bennet said. “Now, I am pleased to see my Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. This bill will ensure the federal government makes good on its promise to Southeastern Coloradans to deliver a safe and reliable water supply.”
Hickenlooper said the project is already moving forward and nearing completion.
“Water has been the lifeblood of Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley since long before JFK promised to deliver them clean drinking water,” he said. “Shovels are in the ground and we’re now on the way to completing the AVC to deliver reliable drinking water to Southeast Colorado.”
The Arkansas Valley Conduit is the final component of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, a federally authorized water diversion and storage system approved by Congress in 1962. Once completed, the pipeline will deliver treated drinking water from Pueblo Reservoir to 39 communities across southeastern Colorado, serving more than 50,000 residents, agricultural producers and municipalities.
Federal funding for the project has accelerated in recent years. Bennet and Hickenlooper have helped secure more than $500 million through the Bureau of Reclamation, including funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, along with more than $60 million in annual appropriations dating back to 2010. Additional funding was included in the Senate’s fiscal 2025 Energy and Water spending bill.
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