Denver — Today, Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed the announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) that $8.7 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would be made available for drought mitigation efforts in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Fiscal Year 2023. This funding is the first part of a $50 million investment from DOI for Western water infrastructure over the next five years.
“As we face a hotter and drier future, we must do more to address water loss along the Colorado River – the lifeblood of the American West,” said Bennet. “This funding will help Colorado’s water users monitor drought conditions along the river and help inform conservation efforts. I’m grateful that the federal government is stepping up to collect better data and safeguard this vital water and energy source for Colorado.”
“Drought continues to plague the Upper Colorado River Basin and the American West,” said Hickenlooper. “But thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, new funding is coming to the Upper Basin to improve the tools we rely on for water management.”
This funding was made available thanks to the $8.3 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Western water infrastructure projects that Bennet fought for as the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources.