Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
DURANGO, Colo. — The Department of the Interior has unveiled a significant investment of $147.6 million from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to aid communities in tackling water reliability challenges stemming from drought and water scarcity concerns. This funding will support 42 projects across ten states.
Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized the administration's commitment to addressing the impacts of drought, stating, "As communities across the West continue to face the impacts of ongoing drought, the Biden-Harris administration is making record investments to safeguard local water supplies and build climate resilience now and into the future."
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton echoed this sentiment, stating, "With new resources provided through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are investing in locally led projects to help build drought resilience." Commissioner Touton highlighted the focus of these projects on enhancing water management strategies, infrastructure, and efficiency to mitigate the effects of drought on communities, agriculture, and ecosystems.
During the announcement, Commissioner Touton, accompanied by Senator Michael Bennet, revealed that the Southern Ute Tribe in southwestern Colorado will receive a $2.3 million grant to upgrade their water system. This upgrade aims to ensure reliable water levels during various flow periods, enabling the Tribe to utilize its full water allocation even during times of lower flows.
The funding, sourced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and annual appropriations, will be channeled towards projects that involve building new infrastructure, upgrading existing systems, recharging aquifers, advancing water recycling and treatment, and implementing innovative technologies to combat water scarcity challenges.
President Biden's Investing in America agenda stands as a significant commitment to enhancing climate resilience, particularly in Western communities grappling with drought and climate change. The administration's investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will total $8.3 billion over five years, focusing on various water infrastructure projects aimed at improving water storage, conservation, conveyance, and more.
The Inflation Reduction Act, with a dedicated $4 billion for water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin and similar drought-affected regions, is also playing a crucial role in supporting long-term sustainability. Through this act, Reclamation has already announced numerous system conservation agreements to conserve water in the Colorado River system.
For a detailed list of projects supported by this initiative, interested parties can visit the Bureau of Reclamation’s website.
