Nearly $295 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will conserve up to 643,000 acre-feet of water through 2025
From the Bureau of Reclamation
The Biden-Harris administration today announced agreements with several California water agencies to conserve up to 643,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2025. The agreements include approximately $295 million in new investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, which will fund projects for water conservation, water efficiency, and protection of critical environmental resources in the Colorado River System.
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton joined federal, Tribal and state leaders in Nevada today to announce the execution of new water conservation agreements, including an agreement with the Coachella Valley Water District to save up to 105,000 acre-feet of water through 2025 and an agreement with the Quechan Indian Tribe to save up to 39,000 acre-feet through 2025. The event also commemorated a recently signed agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District to conserve approximately 100,000 acre-feet of water in 2023. The leaders also announced that additional system conservation agreements with the Palo Verde Irrigation District, Bard Water District – in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California – and a second agreement with the Coachella Valley Water District are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
The investments are part of the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to improve and protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future. They are administered through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history.
“Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is working collaboratively with states, Tribes, farmers, and water districts across the West to help address, improve and protect the long-term stability of the Colorado River System,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “The Biden-Harris administration is using every tool and resource at our disposal to continue our sustained, collaborative progress in increasing water conservation across the West.”
“These agreements represent another critical step in our collective efforts to address the water management challenges the Colorado River Basin faces due to drought and climate change,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Addressing the drought crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, and close collaboration among federal, state, Tribal and local communities. When we work together, we can find solutions to meet the challenges of these unprecedented drought conditions.”
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is integral to these efforts to increase near-term water conservation, build long term system efficiency, and prevent the Colorado River System’s reservoirs from falling to critically low elevations that would threaten water deliveries and power production.
Conservation efforts made possible by this funding have already benefited the system this year. The California conservation agreements announced today join 18 water conservation implementation agreements with critical partners in Arizona, including state agencies, Tribes, and agricultural and municipal water users, which commits water entities to conserve up to 348,680-acre feet of water in Lake Mead in 2023, and up to 984,429-acre feet through 2026. The agreements are part of the 3 million acre-feet of system conservation commitments made by the Lower Basin states, 2.3 million acre-feet of which will be compensated through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
As a result of the commitment to record volumes of conservation in the Basin, as well as recent hydrology, Interior Department announced in October 2023 that the chance of falling below critical elevations has been reduced to eight percent at Lake Powell and four percent at Lake Mead through 2026. Lake Mead is currently about 40 feet higher than it was projected to be at this time last year.
To date, the Department has announced the following investments for Colorado River Basin states through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, which will yield hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water savings each year once these projects are complete:
- $281 million for 21 water recycling projects that are expected to increase annual water capacity by 127,000 acre-feet annually;
- Up to $233 million in water conservation funding for the Gila River Indian Community, including $83 million for a water pipeline project;
- Over $73 million for infrastructure repairs on water delivery systems; $19.3 million in fiscal year 2022and another $54 million announced in April 2023;
- $71 million for 32 drought resiliency projects to expand access to water through groundwater storage, rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge and water treatment;
- $50 million over the next five years to improve key water infrastructure and enhance drought-related data collection across the Upper Colorado River Basin; and
- $20 million in new small surface and groundwater storage.
“IID remains fully committed to working proactively with its partners for the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River and Lake Mead, the source of IID’s only water supply. We are equally committed to ensuring any impacts to the Salton Sea resulting from regional solutions with broader beneficiaries are appropriately addressed to protect our community. IID’s involvement, and particularly that of Imperial Valley growers who will be generating much of this water through voluntary on-farm conservation measures, exemplifies our collective commitment and support that will be paramount in the long-term success of the river.”
Jamie Asbury, General Manager
Imperial Irrigation District
“Each one of these agreements is evidence of what we can achieve when we work together. This collaborative effort, including federal financial support and Metropolitan’s commitment to leave more than 400,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead this year, will help stabilize the reservoir while we negotiate longer-term solutions. There is much work ahead. Building lasting solutions will take even greater partnership and investment from us all.”
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
“This is a significant moment not just for today but for the long-term survival of the Colorado River. All the critical pieces are here: willing partners, meaningful levels of conservation, federal funding, environmental benefits for the Salton Sea, and respect for the Law of the River.”
Dan Denham, General Manager
San Diego County Water Authority
“The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the Quechan people, and we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure it remains a living river. This conservation agreement is an important part of these efforts to ensure that the River can continue to sustain our Tribe, our neighbors in the Basin, and the ecosystem we all rely on. We are proud to sign this agreement today, which reflects our strong partnerships with Reclamation and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.”
President Jordan Joaquin
Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribal Council
“Palo Verde Irrigation District is committed to working with our partner agencies in the Lower Basin, and with Reclamation in taking actions to protect critical elevations in the Colorado River reservoir system. We are pleased to join our long time partner, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, to quickly utilize existing water transfer agreements to achieve these ambitious goals.”
Bart Fisher, President
Palo Verde Irrigation District Board of Trustees
“The Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) recognizes the importance of the Colorado River extends well beyond our service area, and is committed to doing our part to ensure that this River continues to meet the beneficial needs of its users. The agreement we entered into with the Bureau of Reclamation will conserve 105,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water through 2025. CVWD has long promoted efficient use of Colorado River water by minimizing water loss through constructing lined canals and a closed pipeline irrigation distribution system. Furthermore, greater than 60% of the Coachella Valley’s agricultural producers use water efficient drip irrigation systems. CVWD appreciates the collaboration with Reclamation and our fellow California Colorado River water users to protect the Colorado River Basin.”
Jim Barrett, General Manager
Coachella Valley Water District
“The Bard Water District appreciates the opportunity to work with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Bureau of Reclamation and our other lower basin partners to help maintain both the elevation in the system and preserve farming in the Bard Valley. Although the agreement for the next phase of the fallowing program is not yet signed, we believe the program will be beneficial both to the system and our stakeholders.”
Ray Face, President
Bard Water District
