LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Hundreds of millions of dollars are being set aside to help conserve water in the Southwest.
The Department of the Interior announced an initial $700 million investment for long-term water conservation projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin.
This investment – which has the potential to save more than 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead – will fund innovative projects like water distribution structures, advanced metering infrastructure, farm efficiency improvements, canal lining, turf removal, groundwater banking, desalination, recycling water and water purification.
These projects 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 more than 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.
A historic 23-year drought has led to record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Biden-Harris administration has worked to address the ongoing drought and to prevent the Colorado River System’s reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations threatening water deliveries and power production in the region.
“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," said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
The funding is for “Bucket 2” projects being funded by the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program, which uses historic investments to address the drought crisis with prompt and responsive 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 the 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 working with Tribal, state and individual water entitlement holders on proposals for projects located in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California to utilize this funding. Selected projects and details of agreements will be announced on a rolling basis in coordination with basin partners.
