The Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced $889 million in new investments for critical water infrastructure projects in six western states.
The funding will support Bureau of Reclamation projects in California, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming that improve water conveyance, expand storage and modernize infrastructure for communities and agricultural industries.
California projects will receive $540 million of the total funding to support improvements to major water conveyance systems and storage projects throughout the Central Valley. Among the highest-funded projects in this round of DOI funding include:
- The Delta-Mendota Canal will receive $235 million, the largest allocation from the legislation. Funding will support rehabilitation of the upper canal, including raising canal embankments, repairing check structures and advancing potential construction of a new concrete-lined canal segment.
- The Friant-Kern Canal will receive $200 million for subsidence correction efforts along the canal.
- The San Luis Canal will receive $50 million to address subsidence issues affecting water delivery reliability.
- The Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority pumping plant will receive $15 million to increase flow rates and improve system performance.
- An additional $40 million will support planning and preconstruction activities associated with raising Shasta Dam, which will increase water storage capacity by approximately 634,000 acre-feet. That volume of water would be enough to supply about 2.5 million people for a year.
The funding allocation also includes six projects spread across five states.
- $100 million to the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project to use existing supply features under the Garrison Diversion Unit to deliver reliable and affordable water for municipal and rural water systems. North Dakota will also receive $8 million to the Garrison Diversion Unit for repairs at the McClusky Canal and Snake Creek pumping plant.
- $100 million to replace the 110-year-old Strawberry Highline Canal in South Utah County, Utah with an enclosed pipeline to improve safety and water delivery efficiency.
- $100 million for long-term repairs to the Fort Laramie Tunnels in southeast Wyoming to reduce the risk of future system failures.
- $30 million to the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District for a conveyance and pump storage project in northern Idaho.
- $11 million to the Belle Fourche Siphon lining project to repair leaking concrete siphons serving more than 24,000 acres of farmland in South Dakota.
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