As part of the Bureau of Reclamation programme, forty-five water projects will be funded in 13 states
Image: USBR funding could help in saving thousands of acre-feet of water annually in the country. Photo: Courtesy of US Department of Interior.
The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation has agreed to provide $29.1m (£23m) in grants across 13 states under the WaterSMART programme to encourage communities in conserving water.
The states that will receive the funding will include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming were selected to receive grants.
Some of the projects which will receive the funding from Bureau of Reclamation, will include, replacement of unlined canals with pipe or lining, installation of flow measurement for real-time monitoring of water deliveries, advanced meters for residences that will help inform them about water use, or improving irrigation scheduling by installing moisture probes and irrigation system monitoring.
Bureau of Reclamation will fund forty-five projects in 13 states under the programme
As part of this Bureau of Reclamation programme, forty-five projects will be funded in two categories. The first category will include 28 projects in 11 states, which will share $7.5m (£5.9m) with each project receiving up to $300,000 (£237624) funding, with timeframe of less than two years for completion.
The second category will include 17 projects from seven states, sharing $21.5m (£17.03m). These projects will receive up to $1.5m (£1.2m) in funding and will be completed within three years.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said: “Existing water and hydropower resources are being strained as our infrastructure ages and population grows. The WaterSMART program provides critical support to western communities, helping to best conserve limited water resources.”
The Colorado River Indian Tribes in southwest Arizona will receive $250,000 (£198,020) with $250,000 (£198,020) of its own funding to modernise its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system to enhance irrigation water control and management.
The project could result in annual water savings of 10,000 acre-feet which is presently lost to operational spills and evaporation.
The Grand Valley Water Users Association, near Grand Junction, Colorado will receive $178,884 (£141,690m) in federal funding with $220,000 (£174,257m) of its own funding to implement several improvements at Roller Dam to collect accurate diversion and measurement information.
This project could save 4,000 acre-feet of water every year, resulting in reduced diversions from the Colorado River, benefitting a critical stretch of river known as the 15 Mile Reach, which is designated a critical habitat for many fish species.
The Mission Springs Water District in southern California will receive $300,000 (£237,624m) in federal funding with $3.4m (£3.1m) of its own funding to upgrade 12,967 residential water meters to advanced meters that can detect leaks, breaks and other unusual use patterns.
The project is expected to result in annual water savings of 549 acre-feet, which will reduce the amount of water pumped from the Coachella Valley Groundwater Basin.
This April, USBR agreed to provide two funding opportunities for desalination projects under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Desalination Construction Projects and Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects.