A new Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program managed through the Bureau of Reclamation is the newest drought mitigation funding opportunity to address the sustainability of the Colorado River System.
The new program will be “funded with an initial allocation through the Inflation Reduction Act,” an Oct. 12 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation news release said.
“The prolonged drought afflicting the West is one of the most significant challenges facing our country,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in the release, adding that she’s seen how climate change is exacerbating the drought crisis. “Thanks to historic funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Interior Department is committed to using every resource available to conserve water and ensure that irrigators, Tribes and adjoining communities receive adequate assistance and support to build resilient communities and protect our water supplies.”
There are three components for the program. Two of the parts are open for proposal submissions until Nov. 21 and "require confirmation of water conservation and system benefits,” the release reported.
“For the first component, eligible applicants may submit proposals for system conservation resulting in wet water remaining in Lake Mead at a set price of: one-year agreement: $330 per acre-foot; two-year agreement: $365 per acre-foot; three-year agreement: $400 per acre-foot,” the release said. “A second component of the program will accept proposals for additional water conservation and efficiency projects that could involve a variety of pricing options.”
In the third component, proposals can be submitted in early 2023 for long-term system efficiency improvements, according to the release.
“This significant investment from the Inflation Reduction Act enables the Bureau of Reclamation to improve water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin today – and for the future,” Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said in the release. “The Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program provides both new opportunities for system conservation and more durable long-term solutions for areas experiencing drought.”
The Bureau of Reclamation called for basin-wide conservation efforts in an August Department of the Interior news release when the “Colorado River Basin August 2022 24-Month Study” was released. The new program supplements the actions announced in August.
