Recent Events

Wyoming Senator Larry Hicks, Colorado River Forum Co-Chair, shares insights during a tour of the Fontenelle Dam

Last week CSG West convened the Colorado River Forum in Pinedale, Wyoming. Western legislators and water leaders addressed pressing issues of the Colorado River Basin and key considerations for its future governance. 

Substantial discussion focused on the hydrology of the Colorado River system, the seven states agreement, pivotal facilities and water management decisions, federal investments in the basin, and ecological appraisals, among other topics. With current water agreements set to expire in 2026, collaboration between upper and lower basin states was a critical area of dialogue during the event.

CSG West expresses appreciation to Wyoming Senator Larry Hicks and Nevada Assemblyman Howard Watts for their outstanding leadership as co-chairs for the Colorado River Forum, as well as to Wyoming Speaker Albert Sommers for his hospitality and facilitation of a tour to Fontenelle Dam.

A recap of the event is forthcoming. CSG West looks forward to continued engagement around vital water issues during next year‘s forum, which will be held in Arizona.

Please enjoy highlighted photos from this year’s event!

Bob Budd, Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, discusses ecological factors influencing the Upper Basin region.

CRF participants gather for a photo at the Fontenelle Powerplant.

Members from Colorado River Basin states engage during the forum.

CRF members during a tour of the Fremont Lake Dam.

Left to right: Assemblyman Howard Watts and Senator Larry Hicks, Colorado River Forum Co-Chairs.

Wyoming Speaker Albert Sommers facilitating a tour of the Fontenelle Dam.

Upcoming Events

Click Above for the 2023 CSG West Annual Meeting Brochure

As CSG West prepares for its 76th Annual Meeting, we encourage you to take advantage of early bird registration fees through September 30. The 2023 CSG West Annual Meeting will convene November 12-15 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. 

CSG West Chair, California Assemblymember Mike Gipson, and the California Host Committee, invite you to collaborate on critical issues facing our region, such as: 

• Wrapping Our Heads Around Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

• Powering the West Through a Reliable Energy Grid

• Decoding School Funding Formulas

• Mitigating the Current Housing Crisis

• Psychedelics Research, Therapy, and Collaborative Care

• The Crisis in the US-China Relationship



• Sustaining a Thriving Agricultural Ecosystem

The Annual Meeting provides incredible networking opportunities to build relationships with regional colleagues, and several leadership development sessions tailored to the legislative experience.

We look forward to seeing you in November!

We look forward to the Border Legislative Conference (BLC) that will convene October 5-7 in Ensenada, Baja California. Administered by CSG West for more than two decades, the BLC serves as a binational forum where legislators exchange best practices and identify policy solutions to address the complex issues along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border region. An optional policy tour to the Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley), which produces 90% of all of the wine in Mexico, will be offered at the conclusion of the conference.



Membership in the BLC is comprised of legislators from the ten states along the U.S.-Mexico border. These states include California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the U.S., and Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Legislators from non-border states are welcome to attend and participate. Click below for event registration and more information about this year’s BLC.

Water Policy

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers introduced a revised rule reshaping the definition of "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS). This change comes in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's Sackett v. EPA decision, which invalidated the previous WOTUS definition. The newly enacted rule, effective September 8 upon its publication in the Federal Register, abandons the "significant nexus" standard, now requiring wetlands to possess a "continuous surface connection" to traditional navigable waters for jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. Learn more about the rule’s implications and impact below.