U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Office of Public Affairs
1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240
Phone: 202-513-0574
Fax: 202-513-0305

Interior Recovery News Release
For Immediate Release
Date: April 15, 2009
Contact: Joan Moody
(202) 208-6416

Secretary Salazar Announces $1 Billion Economic Recovery Investment in America’s Water Infrastructure
$107.9 million provided for projects in the Lower Colorado Region

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation will invest $1 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to repair America’s water infrastructure and help address the country’s long-term water supply challenges. Of the $1 billion invested through Reclamation, $107.9 million will go to projects in the Lower Colorado Region.

“From aging dams to outdated water systems, America’s water infrastructure needs immediate attention and investment,” said Secretary Salazar. “The $1 billion we are investing through the President’s economic recovery plan will put Americans to work rebuilding our water infrastructure and tackling the complex and painful water challenges we are facing. These investments will boost our economy, help farmers, businesses and communities get the water they need to thrive and restore aquatic resources in the West.”

Secretary Salazar unveiled the Recovery Act funding today at a press conference in Sacramento alongside Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and members of Congress. Overall, the Department of the Interior will manage $3 billion in investments as part of the recovery plan signed by the President to jumpstart our economy, create or save jobs and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21^st Century.

More than $107.9 million has been designated for major Recovery Act project work in Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region, which includes southern Nevada, southern California, and most of Arizona.

• $36.8 million is being provided to accelerate construction of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project, part of the Gila River Indian Community’s Central Arizona Project distribution system, southwest of Phoenix. This funding will enable the Community to construct 10.5 miles of canal by the end of September 2010 to meet commitments to serve additional lands with water. It will also enable the construction of seven check structures in the Pima Lateral Canal. The Project will ultimately serve up to 146,000 acres of land a year.
• $11.95 million is being provided for the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District to rehabilitate the Joint Works Facilities of the San Carlos Irrigation Project, southeast of Phoenix. This will simplify project operation and maintenance, reduce maintenance costs, and conserve in excess of 25,000 acre-feet of water a year for use by the District or the Gila River Indian Community. The project’s Ashurst-Hayden Dam will be rehabilitated, a sediment management facility will be constructed, and engineering designs and environmental compliance activities for current and future work will be completed.
• $36.25 million will be used to repair or replace aging water management and delivery facilities in the Yuma, Ariz., area to improve water storage capacity, water management and water use efficiencies, and address safety concerns related to these facilities. Sediment will be removed from the Colorado River above Imperial Dam, pumping facilities at the Senator Wash storage reservoir will be overhauled, water control structures and other features on more than 23 miles of canal systems will be repaired, roadways will be paved, groundwater pumps and wells will be replaced, groundwater conveyance systems will be improved, and the Lower Cibola Bridge deck will be replaced.
• $13.5 million is being provided for the design and construction of a new office building in Boulder City, Nev., to house the Region’s water operations center staff and other employees. The building will be designed and constructed in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program to meet the most current energy and water conservation standards, potentially using solar panels to provide power for the building and other facilities surrounding it. It will reduce the Region’s water and energy costs and increase operational efficiency by reducing travel time between facilities. Construction of the building is anticipated to begin in February 2010, with occupancy occurring in February 2011.
• $2.5 million is budgeted to expand the ability of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program to create riparian, backwater and marsh conservation areas that are essential to the program’s success. The goal of this 50-year program – a partnership with 56 federal, state, environmental and Tribal agencies from Arizona, California and Nevada – is to work toward the recovery of endangered species and native wildlife habitat, and prevent additional species from being listed under the Endangered Species Act, along 400 miles of the lower Colorado River. The funding will be used to retrofit existing fish hatcheries to provide additional facilities for raising razorback suckers and bonytails, two endangered native fish species; to identify opportunities to secure water for habitat creation and maintenance; and for research studies necessary to improve scientists’ understanding of the specific water requirements needed to maintain created riparian habitats as well as gain a better understanding of specific native bird species.
• $6.9 million in smaller water infrastructure and related projects across the Lower Colorado Region.

The Region also will receive some funding from programs that are being conducted Reclamation-wide, such as water reclamation and reuse projects, canal inspections in urban areas, Life Safety Code improvements at office buildings and facilities, and various other activities.

With an array of  projects identified by stakeholders as critical, the Bureau of Reclamation worked through a rigorous merit-based process to identify investments that met the criteria put forth in the Recovery Act:  namely, that the project addresses the Department’s highest priority mission needs; generates the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creates lasting value for the American public.

The $1 billion announced today will go to Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project programs including:

• Meeting Future Water Supply Needs (including Title XVI water recycling projects and rural water projects)  - $450 million
• Improving Infrastructure Reliability and Safety – $165 million
• Environmental and Ecosystem Restoration – $235 million
• Water Conservation Initiative (Challenge Grants) – $40 million
• Green Buildings – $14 million
• Emergency drought relief in the West, primarily – $40 million
• Delivering water from the Colorado River to users in central Utah under the Central Utah Project – $50 million

“President Obama and this Department have ambitious goals to build America’s new energy future, to protect and restore our treasured landscapes, to create a 21^st Century Youth Conservation Corps,” added Salazar. “These Bureau of Reclamation projects will help us fulfill these goals while helping American families and their communities prosper again.”

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department of the Interior’s economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force. Henderson and the Task Force will work closely with the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General to ensure that the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency that President Obama has set.