The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently released a blueprint for implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spending in 2022.
The Bureau announced the initial fiscal year 2022 spend plan in a Jan. 14 press release. The plan outlines how the agency will invest in communities to improve water infrastructure across the country and address drought concerns across the West. The bureau will receive $1.66 billion annually to support a range of infrastructure improvements for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the largest investment in the resilience of physical and natural systems in American history," Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo said in the release. "Reclamation’s funding allocation for 2022 is focused on developing lasting solutions to help communities tackle the climate crisis while advancing environmental justice."
The fiscal year 2022 spend plan includes $420 million for rural water projects, $210 million for construction of water storage and conveyance project infrastructure, $100 million to repair aging infrastructure, as well as millions more for a variety of other projects, the release stated.
"The Bureau of Reclamation serves as the water and power infrastructure backbone for the American West," Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in the release. "The law represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our infrastructure while promoting job creation. The funding identified in this spend plan is the first-step in implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will bolster climate resilience and protect communities through a robust investment in infrastructure."
Montana Sen. Jon Tester negotiated some of the terms of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for his state. He said he is thrilled to see funding coming to communities who need it.
"With these dollars finally flowing to the farms, towns, and Tribes in Northern Montana that need them, shovels can start hitting the dirt to modernize the water infrastructure our state needs to keep our economy on its feet, and I'll keep pushing Reclamation and the Biden administration to ensure these resources continue heading to the right place," he said in a statement.
