onWater: The Senate Land Sale That Puts Our Water at Risk

The Senate Land Sale That Puts Our Water at Risk

From: onWater:

“We build tools that make it easier for people to access the water, but we know maps alone aren’t enough. Public access to fish, paddle and recreate depends on something deeper: the promise that public lands and waters stay in public hands.

That promise is now under an IMMEDIATE threat.

Three million acres is hard to picture, until you realize it’s nearly the size of Connecticut. Now imagine Connecticut lifted off the map, chopped into parcels, and listed on a government auction site. These aren’t abandoned industrial sites or fringe scrublands. They’re prime slices of our shared natural infrastructure. These are the natural filters, buffers and cooling systems that protect our rivers and lakes. They are also wild meadows, high elevation forests, critical tributaries and essential access corridors. This is land that frames some of the most iconic rivers and recreation destinations in the country. Lose the land, and we risk losing the forest canopy that cools streams, the access trails that lead to headwater creeks and the very ground that filters the water before it ever hits a riverbed.

How much water is actually at risk? 

• 1,487,851 hectares (lakes)
• 202,979 miles of river
• 15,564 rivers

That’s the big picture. Zoom in, and you’ll find river and lake access points that have served the public for generations. Maybe it’s the pullout you’ve used for years. Maybe it’s the shady bend your kid caught their first fish at. Now imagine a FOR SALE sign standing between you and the water.

Your Waterways Will Be Affected. Even If You Don’t Know It Yet. The true danger of this proposal is how quietly it moves. There is no map that says, “Your favorite trail will be sold.” No meeting that announces, “This ramp you launch from every June is gone.” But analysis of the affected parcels shows how close to home this really is. These lands are not isolated. They are part of the recreation corridors that connect the West.

And even if a sale does not cut off a trail or access point directly, the water that flows through these parcels keeps moving. It continues downstream into the rivers, reservoirs and communities we all rely on. Anything that happens upstream, whether it is roadbuilding, clearcutting, drilling, or grazing, ends up in the places we fish, paddle and drink from.

A state-by-state breakdown of the resources affected:

WASHINGTON 

37,538 hectares (lakes) affected 

10,677 miles of river affected 

1,707 rivers in danger 

OREGON 

94,380 hectares (lakes) affected 

30,506 miles of river affected 

3,876 rivers in danger

CALIFORNIA 

262,162 hectares (lakes) affected 

24,261 miles of river affected 

2,859 rivers in danger

IDAHO 

148,581 hectares (lakes) affected 

31,930 miles of river affected 

3,891 rivers in danger

NEVADA 

118,341 hectares (lakes) affected 

16,989 miles of river affected 

1,420 rivers in danger

ARIZONA 

28,131 hectares (lakes) affected 

12,728 miles of river affected 

1,060 rivers in danger

NEW MEXICO 

7,612 hectares (lakes) affected 

9,862 miles of river affected 

877 rivers in danger

UTAH 

479,323 hectares (lakes) affected 

13,505 miles of river affected 

1,310 rivers in danger

COLORADO 

29,923 hectares (lakes) affected 

25,201 miles of river affected 

2,754 rivers in danger

WYOMING 

55,150 hectares (lakes) affected 

27,602 miles of river affected 

2,222 rivers in danger

Looking closer: 1. In Oregon, parcels intersect roads that lead to popular Deschutes River boat launches. 2. In Colorado, eligible lands border the upper Gunnison basin and public trails used by anglers and hikers. 3. In Idaho, tracts include land along the Lemhi and Pahsimeroi Rivers, which are key spawning grounds for salmon. 4. In California, some parcels sit next to Lake Tahoe National Forest lands that anchor trail systems and access points.

These are backyard recreation spots for some and bucket-list destinations for others. They are not remote wilderness outposts. They are the lands that quietly support everything we do outside, from family fishing trips to overnight rafting adventures. When public land is handed over to private interests, access disappears, infrastructure breaks down and ecological protections vanish. And too often, the public does not realize what was lost until it is gone.

A False Bargain: Billions Lost, Not Gained

Proponents of the proposal argue that selling off land will help reduce the federal deficit or generate funding for housing development. But these claims fall apart under scrutiny.

According to independent estimates, the total revenue expected from this 3 million acre sell off is at most $10 billion dollars over ten years.

Compare that to what public lands and clean water already generate according to Outdoor Industry Association: 

• The U.S. outdoor recreation economy contributes $1.2 trillion annually. 
• It supports over 5 million jobs across the country. 
• The Colorado River Basin alone sustains $1.4 trillion dollars in economic output and 16 million jobs across multiple states.

Much of that value starts with clean, accessible water. Whether it’s fishing licenses, rafting permits, or brewery tourism tied to river corridors, water is an economic engine. A one-time revenue injection of $10 billion dollars is a rounding error compared to the recurring value these lands already create in outdoor spending, in water supply and in ecosystem services.

This isn’t fiscal responsibility.

It’s a short-sighted liquidation of national assets for pennies on the dollar.”

More information:

BHA Condemns Senate Proposal to Sell Off Up to 3 Million Acres of Public Lands

Take Action With BHA Today

Contact Senator Mike Lee from Utah to voice your disapproval about his “spectacularly stupid” effort to sell your public lands.

Contact Mike Lee