Deb Haaland Secretary at U.S. Department of Interior | Official website
The Department of the Interior announced today an initial $700 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for long-term water conservation projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin. This investment aims to save more than 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead and will fund various projects such as water distribution structures, advanced metering infrastructure, farm efficiency improvements, canal lining, turf removal, groundwater banking, desalination, recycling water, and water purification. These initiatives are critical for enhancing the long-term drought and climate resilience of the Colorado River’s Lower Basin.
The Colorado River Basin provides water for over 40 million people, fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states, is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations and two states in Mexico, and supports 5.5 million acres of agriculture and agricultural communities across the West. Despite improved hydrology recently, a historic 23-year drought has led to record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Biden-Harris administration has undertaken comprehensive efforts to address this ongoing drought to prevent critically low elevations that threaten water deliveries and power production in the region.
“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to making western communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Building on our significant efforts to protect the Colorado River System, we are continuing to make smart investments through the President’s Investing in America agenda to strengthen the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System and support the 40 million people who rely on this basin now and into the future.”
The funding announced today is designated for “Bucket 2” projects under the Lower Colorado Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program established by the Inflation Reduction Act. This program uses historic investments to address drought crises with prompt actions by providing resources for short-term water management and long-term conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin.
“We are already seeing returns on the historic investments made by the Biden-Harris administration in the Lower Colorado River Basin, with commitments to save more than 1.7 million acre-feet of water in the basin through 2026 facilitated largely through Bucket 1 program,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “These Bucket 2 projects will build long-term resiliency in the basin by investing in system efficiency projects across all sectors.”
Reclamation is collaborating with Tribal entities, state authorities, and individual water entitlement holders on proposals for projects located in Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California utilizing this funding. Selected projects' details will be announced on a rolling basis alongside basin partners.
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda represents a significant investment in climate resilience nationwide by providing essential resources to enhance Western communities’ resistance to droughts and climate change effects. Through legislation like Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding allocations totaling $8.3 billion over five years plus an additional $4.6 billion aim at strengthening drought resilience across Western regions.
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