WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Reclamation recently hosted a signing ceremony celebration with the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Quechan Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and White Mountain Apache Tribe to celebrate new initiatives with a total investment of over $43.7 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and annual appropriations. The new agreements aimed at providing a more sustainable and reliable water use in the Basin and build on progress already underway on water conservation agreements totaling $888 million.
Reclamation hosted the signing ceremony during the opening day of the Colorado River Water Users Association annual conference in Las Vegas.
“Throughout the Biden-Harris administration, we’ve been committed to engaging the Colorado River tribes in a consistent and meaningful way as we provide transformational investments to the region and to Indian Country at large,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “In the Colorado River Basin, the Department of the Interior has delivered more than $1.45 billion for tribal water resource projects due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Today, we are proud to celebrate additional investments with our tribal partners and honor the significant water savings in the Colorado River Basin yielded through existing partnerships, while supporting the resiliency of tribes along the Colorado River for generations to come.”
San Carlos Apache and Quechan Tribes Extend Water Conservation Agreements:
San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Quechan Tribe have agreed to extensions of their initial conservation agreements under the first round of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Reclamation is investing up to $12 million in the San Carlos Apache Tribe’s commitment to conserve an additional 30,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead. The Quechan Tribe committed to extend its agreement to conserve another 13,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead for an investment of up to $5.2 million.
Over $25 Million in Project Funding for Colorado River Indian Tribe, White Mountain Apache and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe:
Colorado River Indian Tribe Chairwoman Amelia Flores joined Commissioner Touton to sign a letter memorializing Reclamation’s intent to fund a planning and design project for the tribe’s Main Canal Re-Regulation Reservoir. Reclamation identified up to $5 million for this initiative funded through Reclamation’s Native American and International Affairs Technical Assistance Program.
The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe joined Commissioner Touton to sign a historic repayment contract for the Animas-La Plata Project, in negotiation for 14 years. This repayment contract provides the tribe with 16,525 acre-feet of water depletion and approximately 38,000 acre-feet of water storage in Lake Nighthorse. The allocable construction costs to the tribe are considered non-reimbursable in accordance with the Colorado Ute Settlement Act.
Additionally, Reclamation and the White Mountain Apache Tribe celebrated funding for $21.5 million from Section 50231 of the Inflation Reduction Act for the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The funding will go toward planning and design of the Rural Water System to divert, store, and distribute water from the North Fork of the White River for the use and benefit of the tribe. This drinking water system will serve water to over 15,000 residents living within the boundaries of the historic Fort Apache Indian reservation in East-Central Arizona.
$888 Million in Water Conservation Agreements Being Finalized with Partners in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah:
Reclamation joined the Colorado River Board of California to highlight progress focused on the long-term sustainability of the system. In California, Reclamation is currently finalizing Bucket 2 agreements with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Coachella Valley Water District, and the San Diego County Water Authority for a combined total investment of over $300 million, representing over 332,000 acre-feet of water conservation in Lake Mead. Outside of California, Reclamation is currently working with Southern Nevada Water Authority, the city of Tucson, the town of Gilbert, the Salt River Valley Water Users Association and Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, and the city of Phoenix on Bucket 2 agreements with the potential to result in a combined total investment of over $588 million, representing over 607,000 acre-feet of conservation in Lake Mead.
The Inflation Reduction Act includes an overall $550 million for domestic water supply projects and $4 billion for water conservation and ecosystem projects in the Colorado River Basin and other basins experiencing similar levels of long-term drought. To date, Reclamation has announced 223 drought mitigation projects, 39 domestic water supply projects, seven emergency relief projects for tribes and four canal improvement projects from Inflation Reduction Act funding for a total of more than $3.2 billion.
