US representative announces legislation to increase Colorado water storage

US representative Cory Gardner announced plans for new water storage legislation, after leading a water storage tour in Weld County, Colorado.

Gardner said that water is a crucial driver of economic growth in the state, with every Colorado industry relying on the resource.

"The ongoing problems with water storage are why I plan to introduce a bill when Congress returns from its summer work period that fixes the broken permitting system," he added.

If the legislation is approved, an office of water storage will be established at the Army Corps of Engineers to approve water storage projects.

The new office will work with all the agencies that are involved in the permitting and approval process for storage.

The legislation would not call for circumvention of environmental reviews, but sets a workable timeframe for an initial decision to be made on whether or not a project can move forward.

Gardner will introduce the legislation when Congress returns from its summer work period.