Candidates Differ on Colorado River Control and Monument Boundaries

Water and public lands featured extended exchanges. On water, Kent Udell called for a comprehensive USGS groundwater analysis and attention to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell, warning the reservoir is "about to hit Deadpool." He said climate-driven declines in snowpack make prudent planning essential.

Celeste Malloy argued states are best positioned to negotiate the Colorado River Compact and said federal involvement should be limited to enabling agreements between states when needed. On national monuments, Udell said the boundaries that existed a year ago had worked well and pledged to seek congressional fixes. Malloy said she introduced a bill to amend the Antiquities Act by removing section 2 so that Congress would make monument decisions rather than leaving them solely to the executive branch.