Environmental Defense Fund Honored with Department of Interior Partners in Conservation Award

(Washington, DC) Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today awarded the Partners in Conservation Award to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and other organizations for their contributions to improving water management of the Colorado River system. The new management policies have been hailed as the most significant change since the Colorado River Compact was signed in 1922. EDF worked with other conservation organizations to develop the "Conservation Before Shortage" proposals and other ideas, which were evaluated by the Bureau of Reclamation in developing new rules for managing the Colorado River under serious drought conditions. The development of these guidelines has been spurred by the current multi-year drought, decreasing system storage, and growing demands for Colorado River water.

"These new rules for the Colorado River demonstrate that we can modernize western water policy to include environmental goals," offered Environmental Defense Fund's Vice President for Land, Water and Wildlife Elgie Holstein. "We accept Secretary Salazar's award with high hopes for more opportunities to make progress."

Implemented in late 2007, then Secretary of Interior Kempthorne signed a historic decision -- known as the Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and the Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead -- to implement new, innovative and conservation focused strategies for drought management of the Colorado River.

"Recognition today of these efforts signifies how crucial efficient use of water is for the economic future of our western states and for the people and fish and wildlife that depend on these rivers for survival," added Jennifer Pitt, conservation expert with EDF.

The final policy adopted by DOI also opens the door to extending new river management flexibility to Mexico, a critical step towards securing urgently needed water, fish and wildlife in the Colorado River Delta.