Arizona's Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) and other water users across the Colorado River Basin are to receive $233 million in federal funding to protect the vulnerable river system, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced April 6.
“Water is a sacred resource and crucial to ensuring the health, safety and empowerment of Tribal communities,” David Palumbo, deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, said in the news release. “The Bureau of Reclamation is hard at work to support projects that have long awaited this kind of funding — projects that are integral to protecting the Colorado River System and the communities that rely on it. By working together, we can ensure the longevity of the basin.”
The GRIC is set to receive $50 million from the Inflation Reduction Act through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, according to the release. The funds will pay for a system-conservation agreement to protect reservoir storage volumes in response to droughts caused by climate change. The agreement also includes development of up to 125,000 acre-feet of system conservation water in both 2024 and 2025, the release reports, with an investment of $50 million each additional year, according to the release.
The DOI also announced $83 million will go to the GRIC’s Reclaimed Water Pipeline Project to expand water reuse and increase Colorado River water conservation. The project will provide 20,000 acre-feet each year for system conservation, with a minimum of 78,000 acre-feet committed for Lake Mead. This is through the BIL and annual appropriations, according to the release.
The funding comes through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the DOI reports.
New opportunities for drought-mitigation funding through the Inflation Reduction Act were announced in October, including the newly created Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. The program "will select projects for funding by Colorado River water delivery contract or entitlement holders that mitigate drought, protect important natural resources, and ensure a reliable source of water and power for those who live in communities across the West," the announcement reported.
The program consists of three components, the release reported. For the first, eligible applicants may submit proposals for system conservation resulting in wet water remaining in Lake Mead at a predetermined set price; the second component is accepting proposals for water-conservation and -efficiency projects involving a variety of pricing options. The third component for proposals for long-term conservation and efficiency upgrades for multi-year system conservation.
“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, we have historic, once-in-a-generation investments to expand access to clean drinking water for families, farmers and Tribes,” Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said in the news release.
“In the wake of record drought throughout the West, safeguarding Tribal access to water resources could not be more critical," Beaudreau said. "These types of agreements will support Tribal communities through essential water infrastructure projects and support water conservation in the Colorado River System.”
