urged committee leadership in both the U.S. Senate and House to include the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in upcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation.
Support including the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) project in upcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation to secure its completion.
Occurrences
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd in urging committee leadership to include the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
Congress must stand up to this intimidation, honor the promise made 60 years ago and override this veto.
Evidence
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Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd, urged committee leadership in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to include the bipartisan Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the upcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
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Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet led Senator John Hickenlooper and U.S. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Jeff Hurd in urging committee leadership to include the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131) in the forthcoming 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
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In the first veto of his second term, President Donald Trump chose to halt a bipartisan 130-mile water infrastructure project 60 years in the making. With one stroke of a pen, he denied clean drinking water to 50,000 Americans in rural southeast Colorado.
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The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. The bill would have the Federal Government extend the repayment period on the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) water pipeline for an additional 25 years, creating a 75-year repayment period, and cut the interest rate in half.
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Last week, President Trump vetoed H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, a bill that passed both Chambers of Congress unanimously with broad bipartisan support.
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In 1962, Congress authorized a 130-mile pipeline, known as the Arkansas Valley Conduit, to deliver clean, reliable water to communities in southeastern Colorado. More than 60 years later, the project remains uncompleted, while communities in the region continue to face unreliable water supplies and serious water quality challenges.
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Today, Colorado U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)’s announcement of $250 million in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for continued construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC).
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Today, Colorado U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet welcomed the announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) that $90 million in new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would be made available to speed up construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC).
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The Committee is gathering information and input from Members of Congress to develop and pass a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) later this Congress. The page lists WRDA 2026 committee activity in December 2025 and February 2026, but does not show enactment of a 2026 WRDA or specific inclusion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit.
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Reclamation says the Arkansas Valley Conduit is still an active project, notes that funds have been allocated for planning, design, compliance, and construction on Boone Reach 1 and 2, and says Reclamation and project sponsors continue to evaluate strategies for addressing funding needs and repayment requirements. The page was last updated 12/15/25.
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Hickenlooper stopped by the John Martin Reservoir to receive an update on the progress of the Arkansas Valley Conduit, which he has helped secure hundreds of millions in federal funds to complete. The release also says local officials discussed the importance of completing the AVC and highlighted the veto of Hickenlooper’s bipartisan Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act.
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GovInfo lists S. 4949 as the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, reported in the Senate on July 15, 2026 and placed on Calendar No. 457. The bill text contains no matching reference to Arkansas Valley Conduit or Fryingpan-Arkansas.
Assessments
Hickenlooper materially advanced the AVC goal: his Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act passed both chambers in 2025 but was vetoed, the House override failed on January 8, 2026, and he later urged WRDA 2026 leaders to include the AVC language. But the promised outcome has not been delivered: the project remains unfinished, H.R. 131 was not enacted, and the reported Senate WRDA 2026 vehicle did not include the AVC language or become law as of the evidence provided. This is a serious failed legislative effort rather than fulfillment.
Hickenlooper actively pushed to include the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the upcoming 2026 WRDA and previously supported funding, but the available evidence does not show WRDA enactment with the project included or the conduit completed. The project remains unfinished, and the related standalone bill was vetoed, so the promise was not fulfilled despite a serious legislative effort.
Senator Hickenlooper actively advocated for the inclusion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit project in WRDA legislation and supported substantial federal funding for its construction. He joined bipartisan efforts urging Congress to pass the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act (H.R. 131), which passed both chambers unanimously. However, the project was ultimately blocked by a presidential veto and the specific legislative inclusion in WRDA has not occurred. While significant executive and legislative actions were taken to fulfill the promise, the intended legislative outcome remains unfulfilled due to factors outside the Senator's control.
Senator Hickenlooper made substantial, well-documented legislative and executive efforts to include and secure completion funding for the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in WRDA and through direct appropriations. He cosponsored or advocated for relevant bills, secured significant federal funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and pushed for legislative inclusion of the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act. However, despite these serious efforts, core legislative solutions faced a presidential veto and the key promise—to secure project completion via WRDA—remained unfulfilled during the term in question. The AVC project remains incomplete, and the specific legislative action promised did not succeed.
Senator Hickenlooper actively supported and advocated for including the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) in WRDA legislation and pursued legislative and appropriations efforts, including substantial infrastructure funding. The Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act passed Congress but was ultimately vetoed by President Trump. While significant funding was also secured for the project, the precise promise was to secure completion through WRDA inclusion, which has not been realized due to executive veto. Hickenlooper expended legislative effort but could not achieve the outcome, and the project's completion through WRDA remains unresolved as of the latest evidence.