Law shaped by Sinema and Kelly provides the necessary funding for the agreement which has the potential to create system conservation of over 73,000 acre-feet within the next 10 years for the Gila River Indian Community
WASHINGTON – Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced approximately $107,000,000 coming to the Gila River Indian Community to fulfill long-term water conservation agreements critical to Arizona’s water future and the long-term health of the Colorado River System.
The $107 million – allocated through the Sinema and Kelly shaped Inflation Reduction Act – will fund three projects for the Gila River Indian Community: $64 million to replace and upgrade irrigation systems on Gila River Farms, $26 million to concrete line more than 7.5 miles of earthen canals in the Blackwater area, and $17 million to construct a regulating reservoir to capture flows that are currently being spilled from the Santan Canal when too much water is accidentally ordered or delivered into the system.
“Arizona continues to lead the way in water conservation. I’m proud to help secure nearly $107 million for the Gila River Indian Community – a critical step towards securing Arizona, and the entire West’s, water future for generations to come,” said Sinema.
“Upgrading irrigation systems and improving water management will help the Gila River Indian Community conserve more water and strengthen Arizona’s resilience to drought,” said Kelly. “These projects and the leadership of the Gila River Indian Community are essential to building a sustainable water future for Arizona, that protects the Colorado River and the communities that rely on it.”
“Our congressional champions, especially Senator Sinema, worked hard to include drought relief funding for the Colorado River in the IRA. Their foresight and determination provided us with the resources necessary to launch these projects. By investing time and energy into careful planning, and in close partnership with our trustee, the Bureau of Reclamation, we were able to not only sign the first Bucket 2 infrastructure investment agreements, but also to break ground on all three of them this month,” said Governor Lewis. He continued, “Arizona is leading the way in combatting drought, and we are proud that we have been able to be the first to put the resources our congressional champions and this Administration made available to us.”
In June, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced an initial $700 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act to support long-term water conservation and protect the health of the Colorado River System.
The agreements with the Gila River Indian Community represent the first long-term agreements to be signed and have the potential to create system conservation of over 73,000 acre-feet within the next 10 years.
Last year, Sinema secured a nearly $64 million investment to fulfill new water conservation agreements across Arizona – including from tribal communities, local municipalities, and a farm – which will conserve up to 162,710-acre feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026.
Between Sinema’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Senator has secured more than $12 billion in drought relief and Western water funding that made this investment possible.