Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a $60 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for water conservation and drought resilience in the Rio Grande Basin. The funds will enhance climate resiliency and water security for communities downstream of Elephant Butte Reservoir extending into West Texas.
The announcement followed a briefing on the Rio Grande Project involving state and local officials, irrigators, and other partners. The Bureau of Reclamation will collaborate with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Elephant Butte Irrigation District, El Paso County Water Improvement District #1, the International Boundary and Water Commission, and local stakeholders to develop supplemental water projects or programs. These initiatives aim to benefit Reclamation’s Rio Grande Project and endangered species in the basin. The water savings from these proposed projects are expected to be in tens of thousands of acre-feet per year.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including the Rio Grande basin and the people, wildlife and economies that rely on it,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “We continue to make smart investments through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to safeguard water resources, invest in innovative water conservation strategies and increase overall water efficiency throughout the West.”
The Rio Grande stretches over 1,200 miles providing water supplies for agricultural food production as well as renewable drinking water to rapidly growing cities across New Mexico and Texas. Despite improved hydrology recently, a historic 23-year drought has resulted in record low water levels throughout the basin.
The funding comes from the Inflation Reduction Act which includes $500 million for water management and conservation efforts outside Colorado River Basin experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. The Biden-Harris administration has already invested almost $59 million in the Rio Grande Basin including over $30 million for aging infrastructure repairs aimed at improving water supplies.
Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton said, “The Rio Grande, like many rivers in the West, has struggled with the impacts of severe drought for decades. This funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda gives Reclamation and our partners the ability to explore options for stormwater capture and other activities to ease the impacts of climate change.”
The funds will aid efforts to increase storage at existing sediment dams and new off-channel storage to capture stormwater. This water will be used to recharge the aquifer, reduce irrigation demands and improve and create riparian wildlife habitat for threatened species like the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo and Southwest Willow Flycatcher.
Implementation of these programs will benefit farmers, residents within Doña Ana and Sierra counties in New Mexico, El Paso County in Texas, as well as the Republic of Mexico. These communities are identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged and vulnerable to climate change based on the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
